Pokémon Emerald: The Adventures of Nadine
by When the Sun Rises
Summary: "Are you ready?" Nadine never thought she could be more than a gym leader's daughter. But after moving to an unfamiliar region, her destiny was set. She gripped her last poké ball, shaking a bit as she did so. Winning her first battle may had been a great feat, but it was only the beginning. "Bring it on!" Based on Pokémon Emerald.
1. Planting Our Roots

Hello, everyone! I _love_ Pokémon Emerald. I hope you do too because this story is based on it. A little twist on what would happen if our game-journeys became more _real_.

Enjoy!

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Nadine squeaked when the truck hit another bump on the road. The boxes around her shuffled about, but nothing fell and hit her. If any of them did though, Nadine wouldn't admit it. Caroline, her mother, and the movers warned her about the boxes, but she insisted on staying in the cargo. Caroline, sold most of the stuff in their old house, so most of the stuff in the boxes were just clothes, books, and other sentimental things. There wasn't anything that can damage her or be damaged by her; and if there was, she'd still be there. It was fun being in the cargo, and it was the only thing cheering her up about the move.

Her father, Norman, got the job as the gym leader of Petalburg City. There weren't any houses for sale there, so Norman bought a house in Littleroot, a town not far from Petalburg.

Nadine huffed and leaned against the truck's walls. Her long brown hair laid loosely on her shoulders, and her ocean-blue eyes looked up in discontent. She wore nothing special that day, just a light green t-shirt, orange shorts, and pink sneakers. She was happy for her dad, she really was, but she wasn't happy to find out Petalburg was in another region.

Nadine felt like everything had been taken away from her. One day she was watching action movies with her neighbors, and the next day, she was deciding which stuff was worth keeping, worth selling, or worth throwing out. Sure she was going to get more stuff and meet new kids, but she had a life back in Kanto. People knew and loved her, and she knew and loved them too. Her relatives were staying there with her friends, so she and her parents would be the only ones in Hoenn, the region they were moving to. At least she knew every corner of the places she had been in Kanto. Hoenn was unknown territory, and Nadine hated asking for directions.

"You'll get used to it, Nadine," Caroline told her when they were still at Kanto. "Before you know it, Hoenn will be your new home, and you'll never want to leave!"

Nadine scoffed at that. She was a _Kanto_ girl. Going to Hoenn was like going to a different planet. What exactly was she supposed to get used to there? Being alienated from everyone else?

When the truck stopped moving, Nadine stood up and watched the truck doors open. She flinched when sunlight hit her eyes, and yelped when two machokes jumped into the truck. The machokes wore navy shirts that represented the moving company they worked for. Nadine smirked at how silly they looked. She stepped out of the truck and watched them carry away the boxes.

"You okay there, girly?"

Nadine turned to see a mover giving the pokémon directions. When she followed his finger, she saw a two-story house with beige walls and brown roofs. A walkway led to the door and separated a lawn into two different sections. White walls guarded the premises, and brown gates attached to them were open for entry.

"Yeah," Nadine said without looking at him. "I'm good."

Nadine saw similar houses beside the building, and the same across the street. She wasn't sure if being surrounded by so many neighbors was a good thing or a bad thing, but it worried her either way.

"Yeah, I know moving can be scary," the mover told her, making her wonder if he read her mind. "But don't worry, kid, you'll get used to it."

Nadine hid a scoff. That was what Caroline said. And she wasn't _scared_! She was just…culture-shocked. Yeah, that's it. Culture-shocked.

"Nadine, isn't this place great!"

Nadine turned around to see Caroline jogging towards her. Her short brown hair bounced on her shoulders, and her brown eyes flashed with excitement. Nadine felt out of place with her sour mood as Caroline took her hands.

"How was the truck, dear?" Caroline asked. "Did any boxes hit you? Did you have a hard time breathing?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Nadine assured. "And the doors have holes, remember?"

Caroline gave her a small smile.

"Well that's good," she said. "Are you hungry? We can eat as the movers put the boxes in our house!"

Nadine frowned. It was too soon to be calling that building their house, but Caroline pulled her into the walkway before Nadine could correct her.

* * *

"Well it looks like I've got my work cut out for me."

Nadine looked around the establishment and shared her mother's disappointment. The living room only consisted of a TV, couch, coffee table, and lamp. When they went to the kitchen, they only saw basic kitchen appliances and a dinner table with four brown chairs.

"Well at least this will give me an excuse to go to town," Caroline shook her head. "This place is in dire need of a woman's touch."

"When's Dad coming?" Nadine turned to her mother.

"He'll be home around 7," Caroline walked to the refrigerator. "In the meantime, let's eat!"

When she opened the fridge, disappointment sunk in again. The only thing the fridge was good for, as it turned out, was storing bottles of water. Caroline sighed.

"Your father must be so busy at the gym, he barely eats at home," she hummed dejectedly. She turned to Nadine. "Want to go to town _now_?"

"We just got here," Nadine told her. "We don't even know where town _is_. And if we do leave, who's gonna watch the movers?"

Caroline opened the kitchen door to see machokes putting in the last boxes. The mover from earlier searched for them until he saw them by the door.

"We're all done, ma'am!" he told Caroline. "Need anything else?"

"No, that's fine, thank you!" Caroline responded. She waved the man goodbye and waited till he closed the door. "Well, that solves our movers problem," she returned to the kitchen. "Let's head to town."

"We don't know the place, Mom," Nadine reminded.

"Which is why we should explore!" Caroline retorted. "Come on, Nadine, where's your sense of adventure?"

Back in Kanto, Nadine thought glumly to herself. But her mother was persistent, so she followed her out of the house.

* * *

Nadine sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter. She and Caroline finally came home from town, and they were exhausted. The only upside to their trip was that they brought home food. Nadine helped her mother put away the groceries and headed for the living room. She barely touched the kitchen door when her mother's voice stopped her.

"Nadine," Caroline extended a garbage bag to her, "could you throw the trash please?"

Nadine gave her a weird look, but took the garbage from Caroline's hands. "Sure," she said. How they were able to fill up trash before the day ended was beyond her.

"Thanks, dear," Caroline thanked before returning to the dishes. "You know where the dumpster is, right?"

"Yup," Nadine answered before exiting the house. She opened the gate and dumped the garbage in the dumpster. When she turned to go back inside, she was stopped by another voice.

"Hey!"

Nadine turned around to see a boy walking towards her. He had light brown eyes and shaggy brown hair. He wore a black t-shirt, navy shorts, and slippers.

"Do you live in this house?" he asked.

Nadine eyed him warily. "Why do you want to know?"

The boy snorted. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna rob you or anything," he said. "I just heard Norman's family was going to be our neighbors. I live in that house over there," he pointed to the beige house beside her own.

"Norman, as in the gym leader?" Nadine guessed.

"Yeah!" the boy confirmed. "I heard he has a kid too. You the kid?"

Nadine shrugged. "Maybe."

"That's so cool!" the boy stuck out his hand. "I'm Brendan."

Nadine shook his hand. "Nadine."

"Nice to meet you, Nadine," Brendan grinned. "I gotta admit, when I heard Norman's got a kid, I thought you'd be a guy."

"Yeah," Nadine sighed. "I get that a lot."

"There's nothing wrong with being a girl though!" Brendan waved his hands defensively. "You can still be an awesome trainer like your dad. Hey!"

Nadine jumped. "What?"

"You wanna battle?" Brendan asked. "If Norman's your dad, you probably got his battling genes!"

"Eh?" Nadine jumped again. "I don't think battling skills are hereditary."

"Well," Brendan took out a Poké Ball. "There's only one way to find out!"

"Brendan!"

Brendan groaned and turned to his house. "What?"

"Come back inside, it's late!" a woman's voice demanded.

Nadine held her breath as Brendan put away his Poké Ball. "Ugh, fine!" he said. He then turned back to Nadine. "Sorry, that was my mom. I gotta go."

"Okay," Nadine nodded stiffly.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Brendan said before running to his house. "Prepare for the most intense battle of your life!"

When Brendan finally disappeared, Nadine sunk in place. She wondered what would be more annoying: constantly being called out as the gym leader's kid, or the gym leader's kid without a pokémon.

* * *

"Caroline? Nadine?"

"Dad!" Nadine ran and enveloped him into a hug. She was sitting in the living room watching TV when Norman walked through the front door.

"Norman!" Caroline followed and kissed him on the lips. "We missed you."

"I've missed you girls too," Norman told them. "Did you move in well?"

"Yes we did," Caroline nodded. "We went to town and did some shopping too. A couple of men even helped us put our bags in the car!"

"Good to hear," Norman approved and looked around the living room. "I see you started putting in the finishing touches."

Indeed, the living room was now decorated with family pictures, potted plants, and decorative mats. There were also decorative candles and figurines, giving the room a classier appeal.

Norman kissed Caroline on the cheek. "Thanks, dear," he said. "The place looks amazing."

"That's what I'm here for," Caroline winked. "Now c'mon in to the kitchen! I made a special dinner specifically made for this day."

* * *

"This is delicious, Mom!"

"Indeed, Caroline, this is the best meal I've had in a while."

"Well I'm glad you guys like it," Caroline beamed. "It's been a while since we've eaten as a family."

Their meal that night consisted of seasoned mashed potatoes, organic macaroni and cheese, and guacamole grilled cheese sandwiches. Their beverage was mint-flavored iced water served in a pitcher Caroline bought at the market.

Norman listened attentively as Caroline told him the events of the day. Nadine, who was in brighter spirits, wasn't as bothered when Caroline told him the details of the move. A certain boy she recently met probably helped distract her too.

So he lives next door, huh, Nadine chewed on her sandwich, and he wants to battle. Hmm, that could be a problem.

"How about you, Nadine?" Norman called to her. "How was the move for you?"

Nadine snapped out of her thoughts and repeated his question in her head. She shrugged.

"It was okay."

"I know you weren't excited about moving," Norman gave her a small smile. "Did today brighten your spirits?"

Nadine thought about his question for a moment and returned his smile. "Of course," she said. "Mom and I get to live with you again."

Norman looked pleased. "Well I'm glad to hear that."

The three ate in silence until Caroline offered dessert. When she stepped out, Norman remembered something.

"I missed your 10th birthday, didn't I?"

Nadine blinked at this and sighed.

"It's okay, Dad," she assured. "You were busy about the gym, and Mom and I were busy about the move. How's the gym, by the way?"

"It's doing well," Norman told her. "I'll bring you and your mother there sometime."

"That's a great idea!" Caroline brought in a platter of blueberry red velvet cake. "Seeing your pokémon may give Nadine ideas about which pokémon she should get!"

"Yes, that's right," Norman nodded. "Now that you're 10, you can own your very first pokémon."

Nadine knew this day would come, but they had this conversation before. She loved her dad's pokémon, but not enough to want her own. She saw the responsibility having one had and shuddered every time she thought about it. Her dad struggled providing for his pokémon and family at the same time, and he was a gym leader! If Norman, a responsible adult, could barely handle it, how could she, a ten year-old kid, handle it herself?

Norman noticed her sudden silence and frowned. "Is something wrong, Nadine?"

"Well," Nadine shifted in her seat. "I'm still not sure if I want a pokémon or not."

Norman widened his eyes. He looked down for a while, deep in thought.

"I see," he said. "I won't force you to have a pokémon if you don't want one, but I strongly encourage it. Pokémon are great companions."

"I know," Nadine sighed. "I just…don't think I can handle it is all…"

"Well it's a good thing your father's a gym leader now!" Caroline handed her a slice of cake. "Your father's a pokémon expert! He'll show you how to be a great trainer!"

"Thanks, Caroline," Norman chuckled. "I'll be glad to help you, Nadine," he told his daughter, "and I know someone who'll be glad to help you too."

"Really?" Nadine blinked. "Who?"

"Professor Birch," Norman told her. "He's Littleroot Town's executive professor. He not only goes around the region studying Pokémon, he also helps potential trainers like you. I think he's back in town for a few weeks. I could give him a call and see if he can meet with you. His lab isn't far from here."

"That's a great idea!" Caroline turned to Nadine. "How about it, Nadine? A gym leader _and_ a pokémon professor to help you out? Even if you haven't decided what you want yet, surely you can't miss an opportunity like this!"

Nadine looked down. "No," she sighed. "I guess not..."

"Then it's settled!" Norman declared as he took a bite of his cake. "I'll call Birch. In the meantime, try this cake, Nadine. It's delicious!"

Nadine slowly took her fork and cut a piece of cake. When she took a bite, her spirits quickly lifted.

"Yum!"

* * *

"Sorry, you just missed him."

"Oh," Nadine frowned. "When will he be back?"

"He'll probably return in a couple of hours," the receptionist replied. "I apologize on Professor Birch's behalf. Sometimes he gets so caught up in his research, he misses appointments."

"I understand," Nadine sighed. "I'll just come back another time."

"Alright then," the receptionist nodded apologetically, "I'll tell Professor Birch you came."

Nadine nodded again and exited the building. She was disappointed she didn't meet the professor, but relieved at the same time. The professor would no doubt try to persuade her into getting a pokémon, and Nadine still wasn't sure if she wanted one.

"Hey, miss! MISS!"

Nadine snapped out of her thoughts and turned around. A little boy, looking to be seven or eight-years old, ran up to her.

"Something's going on in Route 101," he told her. "Can you help us?"

"Umm," Nadine hummed, but the boy started dragging her. When they stopped, Nadine saw a bearded man running around in a lab coat.

Nadine gasped. He wasn't alone. Something was chasing him, something brown and spiky.

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Ooo, what's going to happen next? Tune in and find out!


	2. Abandoning the Old

Hello, everyone! I'm back with another chapter! I'm sorry it took so long. And thank you to those who followed and favored my story. I won't let you down.

In response to my first reviewer, I have a few things to say. First of, thank you for reading my story; I appreciate your support. Second, I'm glad you pointed out a very good point. Game-based stories have been done so many times, what would make one different from the other? The only answer I can provide for that is that this one is written by _me_.

This story may be based on the game, but it is definitely _not_ going to be predictable. I was actually worried my story is going to stray too far from the source material, but since you posted your comment, I brushed those worries aside. Rest assured, this story will be original without completely changing the plot it's based on. I'm confident you all will be surprised with what you read. I have a knack for doing that to people.

Without further ado, here's the second chapter! Enjoy.

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The pokémon narrowly missed the bearded man.

Nadine wanted to do something, but didn't know what. The little boy that dragged her there ran away, leaving her in the clearing.

"You! You there, trainer!"

Nadine stiffened.

"P-please help!" the bearded man cried out, screaming when the pokémon growled at him.

"H-how?" Nadine stammered. "I don't have a pokémon!"

The man widened his eyes. He gave her a quick look of shock before dodging another Tackle.

"Q-Quick then! In my bag!" he pointed to a bag near Nadine. "There are three Poké Balls in there! Pick one a-and set them out!"

"O-okay!"

Nadine ran to the brown leather bag and opened it. She sweat-dropped when the bag revealed three identical Poké Balls. She whimpered and debated which one to use, then grabbed a random one when she heard the man scream.

"O-okay, go!" she tossed the ball. A white beam of light shot through the sphere, materializing into a red chick.

"Torchic! Tor!"

The chick landed on the ground with the thud. His head leaned forward, waiting for a command.

Nadine blinked.

"Will _this_ do?"

"Yes, yes, Torchic will do!" the man affirmed. "Now command it to attack!"

Nadine bit her lip. "Umm..."

She looked Torchic. Torchic blinked.

"Can you...umm," Nadine pointed to the man and his attacker.

Torchic followed her finger and looked at the scene. He immediately ran forward and pelted the man with fire.

"No, no, _no_!" Nadine cried. "Attack the brown thing, not the _man_!"

Torchic immediately stopped and turned to the brown pokémon.

The brown pokémon froze.

Torchic charged. He opened his beak and launched a barrage of fire. The brown pokémon cried and retreated to the trees, running out of the scene.

The bearded man exhaled in relief.

"Thank you very much for your help," he thanked. His charred lab coat scattered flakes as he went his way to Nadine. "And thank you too, Torchic."

"Torchic! Tor!" the chick squeaked.

Torchic turned around and ran to Nadine. He looked up at her and blinked before rubbing his cheeks on her leg. Nadine cooed and picked him up.

"Say, are you Nadine by any chance?" the man asked, "Norman's daughter?"

Nadine looked up. "Yes."

"This is wonderful!" The man cheered. "I'm Professor Birch; I'm supposed to meet you today!"

"Yes, and your receptionist said you weren't in the lab," Nadine told him.

"Sorry about that," Birch scratched his head. "Sometimes I get so caught up in my research, I forget my appointments. Even my wife urges me to be more responsible."

"I understand," Nadine nodded.

"Say," Birch looked down at the chick in Nadine's arms. "That torchic seems to like you a lot. Would you like it to be your first pokémon?"

Nadine blinked. She pulled Torchic away from her and extended him to her vision. The red chick beamed, gleaming at her with black beady eyes.

"Torchic! Tor!" he chirped.

Nadine smiled and pulled Torchic back to her chest.

"Yes," she told the professor, "I'll keep him."

"Wonderful!" Birch beamed. "Let's go back to my lab. I have one more thing I want to give you."

* * *

"I want you to have this pokédex," Birch handed a red device to Nadine.

"Thank you," Nadine took it. "What's a pokédex?"

Birch and Nadine arrive at the lab ten minutes earlier. They greeted the receptionist, who gladly greeted them back, before entering Birch's office. Birch left the room for a few moments and returned with a rectangular device.

"It's a wonderful device we recently created to describe the pokémon you meet," Birch told her. "Other scientists and I are still discovering pokémon, so don't be surprised if you run into one your pokédex can't describe. But don't worry! New entries will be sent immediately, so your pokédex will be updated every step of the way!"

"Thank you," Nadine bowed, "it sounds like a great device."

"Try it out on Torchic!" Birch suggested. "His information is already in the device."

"Sure," Nadine took out Torchic's Poké Ball. "Torchic, come on out!"

Torchic zapped out of his Poké Ball and stood between Nadine and the professor. He gleamed at the sight of his trainer and hopped.

"Torchic!"

"Press the red button over here and make sure the camera is facing Torchic," Birch instructed.

Nadine pointed the pokédex at Torchic and did as she was told.

"Torchic, the chick pokémon," an electronic female voice spoke. "If attacked, it strikes back by spitting balls of fire it forms in its stomach. A torchic dislikes darkness because it can't see its surroundings."

"If you press these buttons here," Birch pointed to the smaller buttons on the left side of the device. "You can see other information about torchics like where you can find them and the moves they can learn. I can give you a pamphlet telling you more on how to work the pokédex."

"No, it's fine," Nadine shook her head. "I like learning through trial-and-error."

"Great!" Birch laughed. "Then you're worthy to be a pokémon trainer indeed!"

"Were you a trainer too?" Nadine asked.

"Oh yes, many years ago," Birch said nostalgically. "I travelled the world and met different kinds of pokémon. I never reached the Pokémon League, though. I was too busy studying the pokémon I met!"

"Are the pokémon you traveled with still with you?" Nadine asked.

"Oh yes! They're in a ranch not far from here," Birch nodded. "I'll show them to you some other time; but right now, I need to get back to my work."

"I understand," Nadine returned. "Thank you very much for everything."

"No problem!" Birch grinned. "I'll walk you out the door."

"Sure."

When the two reached the entrance, Nadine waved Birch and the receptionist goodbye before stepping outside.

"Say hello to your parents for me!" Birch waved. "And call me if you need anything!"

"I will, thank you!"

"Chic!"

Nadine looked down. "Oh," she chuckled. "I forgot you were there."

Nadine smiled and picked up the chick pokémon. Torchic squeaked and settled on her chest.

"So Torchic," Nadine started walking, "have you been around Littleroot before?"

"Torchic! Tor!"

"Umm, okay," Nadine chuckled. "I'll take that as a 'no'."

"Hey, Nadine!"

Nadine turned around to see Brendan running towards them. He was wearing a green and black biker's outfit with a white sports cap on his head. From the distance, he looked like he had white hair.

"Oh nice! Is this your pokémon?" Brendan petted Torchic.

"Yeah," Nadine confirmed. "I just got him from Professor Birch."

"Oh really?" Brendan asked. "You got it from my dad?"

Nadine blinked. "Your dad?"

"Yup!" Brendan grinned. "I'm Professor Birch's son, Brendan Birch. I got my pokémon from him too!"

"That's really cool," Nadine told him. "Which pokémon did you get?"

Brendan smirked and raised a fist. "How about I show you in a battle?"

Nadine jumped back. "A battle?" she gripped Torchic. "But I just got my pokémon..."

"So did I!" Brendan remarked. "I just turned 10 a couple months ago, so my pokémon is just as new as yours!"

"Not really," Nadine hummed. "I've never had a battle before, and you have more experience than I do."

"I haven't battled _that_ much," Brendan pouted. "I've been busy helping my dad with his research. I'm actually gonna travel the region to gather info from places my dad can't go to."

"You're not gonna battle gym leaders?" Nadine asked.

"Well, it isn't really one of my goals," Brendan admitted, "but that doesn't mean I won't battle every once in a while. I'm not gonna let my pokémon grow without training."

"Sounds like a plan."

"So what do you say? Wanna battle?" Brendan challenged. "It may be your first battle, but I'm pretty sure you've watched your dad enough to know how they work."

Nadine looked down at Torchic.

"What do you say, Torchic?" she asked. "Wanna battle?"

"Torchic!" Torchic chirped.

"All right, then it's settled!" Brendan cheered, "and I know just the right place to do it!"

* * *

Route 103 didn't look anything more than a grassy field with trees, but there was a big opening in its center, perfect for a battle.

Nadine stood at one end while Brendan stood at another. The wind was blowing rather loudly that day, but Nadine didn't mind. Even if her hair was all over the place, Nadine was glad the setting wasn't completely silent. The route was far from the town they passed (Oldale Town, was it?) so no one else could witness the biggest moment of her life.

"You ready?" Brendan called out. He had a big smirk on his face, a Poké Ball clutched in his hand.

Nadine closed her eyes and took a shaky breath. She also had a Poké Ball in hand. Torchic was waiting in there, listening for her command.

You can do this, Nadine, Nadine told herself. Just breathe.

"R-ready!"

"Go, Mudkip!" Brendan tossed his Poké Ball.

The ball unhinged in the air, releasing a blue four-legged pokémon. It landed on the grass with a thud, the fin on its head tucked defensively.

"Mudkip!" it cried.

Nadine immediately took out her pokédex. "What is that?"

"Mudkip, the mudfish pokémon," the pokédex told her. "In water, Mudkip breathes using the gills on its cheeks. If it is faced with a tight situation in battle, this pokémon will unleash its amazing power-it can crush rocks bigger than itself."

"Wow," Nadine clicked her tongue. "Sounds like a powerful pokémon; and it's a water type too."

Nadine frowned and looked at her Poké Ball. Hesitantly, she tossed it in the air. "Go T-Torchic!"

Torchic leaped out of his ball and also landed with a thud. He stared at Mudkip with determination, but anyone that looked closely could see he was shaking.

"I know I have the type advantage," Brendan started, "but that shouldn't discourage you, Nadine. I've seen your dad battle Fighting types with his Normal-types and win. Give it all you got, okay? Let's make this a fun battle."

Nadine absorbed his words. Her frown turned into a smirk, and she raised a fist in determination.

"Let's!"

"Mudkip, use Tackle!" Brendan commanded.

Nadine's confidence disappeared. Mudkip was coming in fast. Too fast.

"Q-q-quick, Torchic!" she stuttered. "Use umm...umm..."

Torchic cried as Mudkip tackled it backwards. It tumbled and rolled violently before stopping in front of Nadine.

"Chic..." it groaned.

Nadine gasped. "Torchic! Are you alright?"

"Mudkip, Tackle again!"

Mudkip made a sharp turn before ramming Torchic from the side. Torchic cried again before crashing to a tree.

"Torchic!" Nadine cried out.

Torchic groaned. He was able to stand, but he wouldn't stand another hit.

"What do I do? What do I _do_?" Nadine started shaking. "Torchic is getting beaten and I'm just standing here!"

"Sorry about this, Nadine," Brendan said to himself. "Mudkip, finish it off with one last Tackle!"

Mudkip charged again, faster and more powerful than before. Time was running out. If Nadine didn't do anything, Torchic would be done for.

"Torchic, jump!"

Torchic, strengthened by his trainer's voice, leapt into the air. Mudkip was unable to stop his attack and crashed right into the tree.

"Mudkip!" Brendan cried. "Mudkip, are you alright?"

Mudkip groaned as he wobbled back. The impact caused him to lose balance, and he looked like he was going to collapse.

"Torchic, use Ember!" Nadine added.

Torchic raised his head and unleashed a barrage of fire. Mudkip, who was still trying to recover, wailed as he was burned with flames.

"Mudkip!" Brendan cried.

He ran to his pokémon and picked him up. The pokémon whimpered, limp in his arms.

"Good job, Mudkip," Brendan took out his Poké Ball. "I'll get you healed up right away. Return."

Nadine stared at the scene, eyes and mouth wide open.

"I..." she took a breath, "won?"

"Torchic, Tor!"

Nadine yelped when Torchic leaped into her arms. Torchic's beady eyes were wide as they stared at her in glee. Nadine looked back in silence. Then she squealed and hugged him tightly.

"We won!" Nadine swung him side to side. "We won, Torchic! Good job!"

"Tor!" Torchic cheered.

"Good job, Nadine."

Nadine and Torchic looked up to see Brendan approaching them. He had a smile on his face, but Nadine knew it was a little sad.

"That was a close battle," Brendan continued. "I didn't expect you to beat me, but I can't be that surprised. You have your father's blood after all."

Nadine smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Brendan," she said. "You and your mudkip were tough. I didn't think we could beat you either."

"This will be the last time you beat me though," Brendan smirked. "I'm going to train Mudkip, capture more pokémon, and get even stronger! Just you wait!"

Nadine beamed and looked down at Torchic. Torchic beamed too, happy to see he pleased his trainer.

"We're gonna train too," Nadine told Brendan. "There's no way we're going to lose to you either!"

Brendan laughed out and extended a hand. "Rivals then?"

Nadine nodded and met him halfway.

"Rivals."

* * *

The Pokémon Center in Oldale Town was huge. Unknown pokémon and their trainers were everywhere, and Nadine held back the urge to scan them all with her pokédex. Hoenn pokémon were strange, but the good kind of strange.

Speaking of Hoenn pokémon, Nadine remembered Torchic as she and Brendan neared the counter. A nurse was waiting for them, a nurse with pink hair.

"Good afternoon! Welcome to the Pokémon Center," the woman greeted. "Would you like to rest your pokémon?"

"Yeah, thanks Nurse Joy," Brendan grinned. "This is Nadine. She's Norman's daughter, a newbie to the trainer world."

"Wow!" Joy's eyes brightened. "As in Norman, the new gym leader of Petalburg City?"

"Hehe, yeah," Nadine nodded.

"That's amazing!" Joy squealed. "You must be very proud."

"I am," Nadine told her. "I just wish he was home more often. "

"Well surely you must understand," Joy remarked. "Being on a pokémon journey won't keep you home either."

Nadine widened her eyes. Her silence confused the nurse.

"I'm sorry," Joy blinked. "Are you not on a journey?"

" _Well_ ," Nadine slurred. "I just got my pokémon, so a journey hadn't crossed my mind yet."

Brendan stepped back.

"What?" he asked. "Really?"

Nadine shifted in her spot. "Can you heal just my Torchic, please?"

"Of course!" Joy nodded, "and don't worry about the fee, dear; our services are always free. Just look for the big red roof!"

"Thank you," Nadine handed her her Poké Ball.

"Mine too, please!" Brendan handed his Poké Ball as well.

"Very well," Joy accepted them. "I'll call you two when they're ready."

When Joy walked away, Brendan pulled Nadine to the side.

"Let's go to the balcony," he said. "There's something I want to show you."

"Umm," Nadine stumbled, "o-okay..."

* * *

Nadine gaped at the sights before her. To her left towards Littleroot was a large lake, and to her right were lands too far for her eyes to see. What Brendan was pointing at, however, was a familiar grassy field. Nadine smiled.

"That's where we had our battle," Brendan told her. "Looks different from this view, doesn't it?"

"It does." Nadine exhaled.

"Beats Kanto, doesn't it?" Brendan nudged her. "Bet they don't have places like this back there."

Nadine's smile faded away. Brendan, realizing his mistake, panickly waved his hands.

"I'm sorry!" he said. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad! I was just-"

"I know," Nadine sighed and faked a smile. "It's okay. Hoenn may not be my home, but it is beautiful."

"But it _is_ your home," Brendan told her. "At least, it is _now_."

Nadine cringed. "I don't think I'm ready to call it my home yet," she said. "I left a lot of things in Kanto, so I don't really have much here."

"But you have Torchic now, don't you?" Brendan pointed out. "And you also have-"

Brendan stopped and looked away. Nadine blinked curiously as he took deep, rapid breaths.

"Have what?" she asked.

Brendan kept his back to her as he tried to come up with an answer. Nadine tapped him on the shoulder.

"Adventure!"

Nadine blinked. "Huh?"

"Y-yeah!" Brendan turned around. "You don't know anything about this region, but with Torchic by your side, you can go to new places and discover new things! Bet you couldn't do that in Kanto, could ya?"

Nadine gripped the balcony's railing.

"That's...true…"

"Y-yeah!" Brendan continued. "You said you were thinking about going on a journey or not. This is your chance to do it!"

Nadine smiled. Brendan was sounding a lot like her mom, but for some reason, his words affected her differently. Maybe it was because he was from Hoenn itself; or maybe because he was her first leap of faith. She didn't think she could beat him in her very first battle, but she did. And boy, did it feel good. So good, she was yearning for more.

Nadine leaned against the railing, fresh thoughts swirling in her head.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

"So, you beat Brendan on your first battle?"

Birch laughed out and leaned against his desk. "Either you really inherited your dad's genes, or Brendan just lost a pair."

"Dad…" Brendan grumbled.

Brendan and Nadine went to Birch's lab together after Birch called them to come. Birch was more than delighted the two already met. The meeting he planned later that day wouldn't have been necessary.

"Brendan was tough though," Nadine told the professor. "He definitely didn't make it easy, that's for sure."

"Oh, don't sell yourself short there, Nadine," Birch waved her off. "You definitely have potential to be a great trainer. Your father would be proud."

"Yeah..." Nadine nodded. "He would."

"Hey, Dad," Brendan called out. "Nadine said she's not sure whether she should go on a journey or not. Can you convince her to change her mind?"

"Well I can't force her to do something she doesn't want to do," Birch told him, "but I can tell her this."

He turned to Nadine, a wide smile on his face.

"Nadine," he started. "Hoenn is a big region. Kanto is big too, but the difference between being in Kanto and being here is that you have a pokémon here. Torchic will be the first of many pokémon that you will meet and befriend. Let them strengthen you, let them change you, because with them, you can change the world."

Nadine didn't know how to react to that. She didn't know whether to be scared or excited, but both emotions seemed to be swimming in her gut.

"And don't worry, you won't be out there alone," Birch assured. "Not only do you have your pokémon with you, you also have your parents back home. As for me, I'm only one phone call away!"

Nadine smiled. "Thanks, professor..."

"Y-you..."

Nadine turned to her left.

"You also have me," Brendan told her. "I won't be with you 24/7, but if you need someone, I'll be there. As a matter of fact, here..."

He took out five Poké Balls from his bag and handed them to her. "You'll need them to capture more pokémon."

Nadine beamed and put the balls in her bag.

"Thanks, Brendan."

"Now that that's settled," Birch clapped his hands, "I'm going back to work. Why don't you show your parents your new pokémon, Nadine? I bet they'll be happy to see it."

"Yeah," Nadine gripped her fanny pack. "They would."

* * *

"What a cute pokémon!" Caroline held Torchic in the air.

"Thanks," Nadine smiled. "Try hugging it."

Caroline pulled Torchic to her chest. The chick pokémon chirped and nuzzled her neck.

"Oh it's so warm!" Caroline squealed, "and so cuddly too!"

"It's an interesting pokémon indeed," Norman accepted Torchic from Caroline. "What's it called again?"

"Torchic," Nadine told him.

The three of them were in the backyard ten minutes after eating dinner. Though it was a summer night, the air was bit chilly.

Nadine took a deep breath, then another.

"I'm..."

Her parents looked at her.

"going to take him with me on my journey."

Norman and Caroline froze. They didn't say anything for a while, absorbing her sudden news. It was Caroline who broke the silence when she pulled Nadine into her arms.

"Oh honey," she cooed. "You're all grown up."

"Yes," Norman slowly nodded. He scratched the back of his head, unsure what to say.

"You didn't even want a pokémon yesterday, and now you want to journey with one," Caroline pulled back. "What made you decide this?"

Nadine frowned. She herself didn't know the exact reason. To stall, she told them it was getting cold and ushered them to the living room. Once they sat down on the couches, she told them about the rest of her day. Norman was proud, but conflicted. He hadn't seen his daughter for a long time; and when he finally reunited with her, she was leaving him.

"I can't believe you won your first battle," Caroline breathed out. "You really are your father's daughter."

Nadine inwardly sighed. It was the umpteenth time someone compared her to Norman, and it was bugging her in more ways than one. Was she really nothing more than the gym leader's daughter?

"I'm very proud of you, Nadine," Norman nodded. "Though I admit I'm surprised by your decision to leave; you were always a home-bodied person. But I guess this little guy..." he petted Torchic, who was sitting next to him, "changed your mind, didn't he?"

Nadine patted her lap. Torchic immediately came at her command, chirping when she petted him.

"So when are you leaving?" Caroline asked. She tried to sound excited, but sadness was evident in her voice.

Nadine noticed this and sighed. "Maybe on Monday," she said, "when Dad goes back to the gym."

"Why don't you stop by before you leave?" Norman suggested. "I can give you parting words as a gym leader before you start your journey."

Nadine looked at him and smiled.

"That would be great."

* * *

Nadine went upstairs and changed to her pajamas. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she walked to the vanity and brushed her hair. She looked at the mirror and saw Torchic sitting patiently on the bed. "Funny," she sighed. "I just got this room, and I'm leaving before I can get used to it."

She continued brushing her brown locks and looked at herself with tired eyes. Everything was changing so fast. It frightened her how willing she was to explore the world she didn't even want to be in until then. She didn't even know what to do out there. Would she sight-see? Would she battle gyms? Did she even have what it took to take them on?

Nadine gasped when Torchic hopped to her lap. He looked at her with beady eyes and tilted his head.

"Tor?"

"I'm fine," Nadine combed his red feathers. Torchic closed his eyes, nuzzling her hand in return. "How about you, Torchic?" Nadine asked. "Are _you_ ready to get out there?"

"Torchic! Tor!" the pokémon chirped.

Nadine smiled and stood up, holding Torchic in her arms.

"You can sleep next to me tonight," she set the chick on the bed. She hesitated a bit before turning off her lamp. She plopped on the mattress, and before she could move, Torchic snuggled under her arm.

Nadine sighed. She always had trouble sleeping in unfamiliar rooms, but she couldn't move with Torchic at her side. She glanced at Torchic and smiled at how peaceful he looked. She gave him a quick kiss before returning to her thoughts.

Torchic could've fought better, Nadine grimaced as she remembered Torchic getting pummeled by Mudkip. But she was his trainer, wasn't she? Torchic made a great recovery, but he wouldn't have had to do that if his trainer didn't panic.

Birch said Torchic just hatched from an egg, so the fact that he learned Ember so quickly meant that Torchic was born with potential. Nadine couldn't be prouder of the red chick. He was a strong pokémon and, according to Birch, had two more evolutions to be even stronger.

Torchic would be a great fighter, Nadine realized. The question was, would she?

.

.

.

Thank you so much for reading! This is the last revised and rewritten chapter of the story. The next chapter will be fresh and new.

Will Nadine ever get her question answered? Stay tuned!


	3. When a Petal Flies

Hello, everyone! I'm back with another chapter. I'm so sorry it took so long. But now that it's here, let's dive in, shall we?

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"You're going to need this, and this, and ooh! You're definitely going to need _this_!"

" _Mom_ ," Nadine groaned. "I told you, I'll be _fine_."

Nadine and Caroline were in Nadine's room prepping Nadine's supplies. After clothes and sundries were stored, Caroline proceeded to stuff her daughter's backpack with items she didn't need. A magnifying glass was indeed a handy tool, but Nadine didn't need to carry it around. Nadine removed the item and more, making her mother pout. She gave Caroline a smile before zipping the bag closed. "I'll call you when I get to Rustboro," she told her.

"Good," Caroline said, "but feel free to call _before_ you get there."

Nadine kissed her on the cheek. "I will," she smiled.

Caroline followed her out the door and downstairs to the living room. Nadine was wearing a fit orange dress, black biker shorts, black socks, and orange sneakers. A lime-colored bandanna covered the top of her head, allowing her brown locks to flow freely at her waist. The gloves she wore were white with some parts black. Her backpack was sunny yellow.

"Oh honey."

Nadine stopped at the front door and turned to her mother. Caroline clasped her hands beneath her chin, her eyes wide and teary.

"I almost wish I didn't convince you to explore the region," she admitted, "then you wouldn't have to leave."

Nadine frowned. She remembered the loneliness she and her mom felt when Norman moved away. Though they moved to the region with him, their husband and father remained predominantly absent due to his duties at the gym. The mother and daughter were able to cope because they had each other, but if Nadine was leaving on a journey, Caroline would be on her own.

"Mom," Nadine croaked. "I'll call, okay? I'll call all the time. I'll call so much, it would be like I never left the house."

"That's good to hear," Caroline pulled her into her arms.

Nadine returned her embrace and leaned on her collarbone.

"I really don't want you to leave, but I know you have to," Caroline continued. "You're not that young anymore. You don't need your mother as much as you used to. But just remember, dear, no matter how old you get, I will always be your mother, and I will _always_ be there for you."

Nadine tightened her embrace. "I'll miss you, Mom."

"I'll miss you too, Nadine."

Caroline gave her daughter a squeeze before pulling away. "Go get 'em," she whispered.

Nadine gripped her hand. "I will."

She released her mother's hand and opened the door. Right when she did so, Torchic materialized and appeared in front of Caroline. He looked up at the woman, his eyes wide and shiny.

"Oh, Torchic," Caroline picked up the pokémon, "please take care of my daughter."

"Torchic, Tor!" Torchic chirped.

"Thank you," Caroline placed Torchic back on the ground. The chick gave her another chirp before running to Nadine's side. Nadine picked him up and nodded to Caroline.

"Bye, Mom," she said.

Caroline forced a smile. "Bye, Nadine."

Once Nadine and Torchic were gone, Caroline closed the door behind them. Her hand lingered on the doorknob, then fell limply to her side.

* * *

Nadine searched the bus until she found a seat by the back door. She made sure neither she nor Torchic hit anyone as she squeezed through the crowd of people and pokémon.

"Next stop is Arbor and Oldale, followed by Glenrose and Oldale."

Nadine noted the bus announcer's words before plopping on the bus seat. The person sitting next to the window got off the next stop, allowing her and Torchic to look through the window. Oldale Town was bigger than she thought. It almost looked like Littleroot, but with a less fantastic appeal and a more urbanized environment. What Nadine enjoyed seeing the most was the harbor. Several boats were reeling nets of magicarp, the type of pokémon she DID recognize. Seeing man and pokémon work together for a living warmed her heart. The two species really could live in peace when they try.

Nadine looked back inside the bus and eyed the pokémon. There was one that looked like a black puppy, and another that looked like pink cat. What really caught Nadine's eye was a couple of pokémon that looked like pikachus; but one was red with pluses on its cheeks, and the other was blue minuses on its cheeks.

"Next stop is Route 102."

The buildings outside the bus were replaced by trees and grass. When Torchic started hopping on his seat, Nadine peered outside the window to see what he was looking at. Several trainers and their pokémon were battling on the fields. Fire, electricity, and water clashed into the air, creating soundwaves of energy that reverberated through the bus.

Nadine took out her phone and activated the GPS. Petalburg City was 20 minutes away by bus from where they were, but almost an hour if they walked. Torchic was looking rather antsy, however, and Nadine immediately knew they were going to walk.

"Do you want to get off here, Torchic?" Nadine asked.

"Torchic, Tor!" Torchic chirped, hopping more anxiously on his seat.

"Okay, okay," Nadine pulled the cord above the window. "Let's get off."

When the two got off at the bus stop, Torchic ran to a thick patch of grass. Nadine gasped.

"Torchic, wait!"

But Torchic didn't hear her. It stopped right in front of the patch, leaning forward intently.

Nadine ran to the pokémon and stopped to catch her breath.

"Hah...Ha-Torchic," she breathed out. "Wh-hat's wrong?"

"Torchic!"

A small humanoid creature emerged from the patch of grass. It had a large green cap on its head with a red half-oval antennae at the front, and a smaller half-oval at the back. The rest of its body was white.

"What is that thing?" Nadine took out her pokédex.

"Ralts, the feeling pokémon," the pokédex spoke, "A ralts has the power to sense the emotions of people and pokémon with the horns on its head. It takes cover if it senses any hostility."

"A ralts, huh," Nadine noted, "I wonder why it was hiding in the thrush."

"Zigzagoon!"

Ralts cried and ran to Nadine. Nadine yelped when the pokémon jumped into her arms. A spiky brown pokémon emerged from the grass and glared at the pokémon. It froze, however, when it saw Nadine and Torchic.

" _You_!" Nadine pointed. "It's time to find out what you are once and for all!"

"Zigzagoon, the tinyraccoon pokémon," the pokédex informed. "Rubbing its nose against the ground, it always wanders about back and forth in search of something. It is distinguished by the zigzag footprints it leaves."

Torchic neared Zigzagoon, but the spiky pokémon didn't stay. It immediately fled the scene, not wanting a repeat of their previous encounter.

"That zigzagoon is such a bully," Nadine frowned, "but at least you're safe now," she looked down at Ralts. "Want me to put you down here?"

"R-Ralts!" Ralts shook her head. She gripped her dress for emphasis.

"Don't be afraid," Nadine hushed. "The zigzagoon's gone now."

"Ralts! R-Ralts!"

"Well we can't stay here if that's what you're asking," Nadine told her. "Torchic and I are glad we could help, but we gotta go."

"Ralts!" Ralts clutched her shirt tighter. "Ralts, Ralts, _Ralts_!"

Nadine blinked. "Do you want to come with us?"

"Ralts!" Ralts beamed. "Ralts, Ralts, _Ralts_!"

Nadine smiled and hugged it tighter. "Alright then," she said. "Guess we got a new friend, Torchic."

"Torchic!" Torchic beamed and ran to them. "Tor _chic_!"

"Ralts!"

"Okay, guys," Nadine chuckled. "Time to get moving. I want to see my dad."

But the trip wasn't uneventful. Several trainers approached Nadine and challenged her to a battle. Nadine won every one, but it wasn't easy. Torchic may had been a good battler, but there were too many close calls. He needed to train if they were to keep winning.

Ralts watched Torchic in amazement, but didn't seem interested to battle herself. She was more than content to stay in Nadine's arms, which amused and worried Nadine at the same time. If Ralts didn't want to battle, then what _did_ she want to do?

Nadine exhaled in relief when they arrived at Petalburg City. The first place she immediately went to was a Pokémon Center, where a nurse was more than happy to treat her Torchic. Nadine bought herself and Ralts some snacks before sitting at the center's balcony. They ate their food on the gray tables and looked at the city's view. Petalburg was significantly different from Oldale and Littleroot. Not only was it larger than the two towns, it was more industrialized. Cars, buses, and other vehicles crowded the roads as pedestrians scrambled through the streets. Norman's gym was nowhere to be seen. When Nadine looked up its address, it turned out to be on the other side of the city. Nadine groaned and put away her phone. Ralts detected her discontent and frowned.

"That's a really cool pokémon."

Nadine blinked and turn to the speaker. A green-haired boy around her age was standing by their table. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt, light teal jeans, and gray sneakers. His blue eyes were wide, pale, and dull.

"Thanks," Nadine returned. "I bet your pokémon are pretty cool too."

"I don't have a pokémon," the boy fidgeted, "but I would like one. Where did you get _yours_?"

"Well my first one is from a professor in Littleroot," Nadine jerked her head to Ralts, "I got Ralts here today at Route 102."

The boy gasped. "You _did_?" he looked down, "but I was just there..."

"Well my pokédex said raltses are pretty rare," Nadine told him, "I didn't really find Ralts, she found _me_."

"Really?" the boy looked back up. "How?"

"She was running from a nasty zigzagoon," Nadine chuckled. "Fortunately, I battled that zigzagoon before and scared it off the second it saw me and my Torchic."

"Torchic is your pokémon?" the boy asked.

"Yeah," Nadine nodded. "My first one. He's being healed right now by the nurses. Ralts and I are just waiting for him."

"You're so lucky," the boy looked down.

"Why don't you get a pokémon of your own?" Nadine asked.

The boy flinched. "I don't know how..."

Nadine widened her eyes. "You don't know how to catch a pokémon?"

The boy squirmed.

"Alright then," Nadine stood up, "I'll help you."

The boy gasped. "You will?"

"Sure," Nadine smiled. "I'm a beginner myself and got lots of help to get here. I want to help someone else for a change."

"Oh thank you!" the boy bowed. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you_ very much!"

"Don't worry about it," Nadine waved her hand. "What's your name?"

"Wally."

"Nice to meet you, Wally," Nadine smiled. "My name's Nadine."

* * *

Torchic smirked and stared intently at the grass patch he faced not long ago. He had just been dismissed by the center nurses when Nadine introduced him to a green-haired boy. He couldn't help but stare at the boy, who was practically gawking at the sight of him. He also couldn't help but be absolutely baffled when Nadine asked him to his temporary pokémon. Apparently, the boy, who was named Wally, didn't have a pokémon of his own, thereby needed to borrow Nadine's to catch one. The chick was reluctant to serve someone other than his trainer, but Nadine asked him nicely, and he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

He also couldn't back down from a fight. Pokémon capture often required battle, and there wasn't a battle Torchic wouldn't partake. He was disappointed from the last encounter, when the zigzagoon bully ran away, so the opportunity to face it again was welcomed. Another pokémon would've worked too, really. He just wanted to battle.

"We've been here for a while now," Wally muttered, looking down at his fingers. "When will one show up?"

"Hmm," Nadine crossed her arms, "maybe we need to walk into the grass."

" _What_?" Wally jumped. "But what if we get attacked?"

"Isn't that what we're aiming for?" Nadine smirked. "C'mon, let's go in."

Torchic chirped and charged into the patch. Not wanting her pokémon out of sight, Nadine immediately ran after it. Wally stayed where he was and started shaking.

"Ralts."

"Huh?" Wally looked down. The psychic pokémon stood by his feet, tugging his teal jeans.

" _Ralts_."

"You're such a cool pokémon," Ralts picked her up. "I want to get a pokémon just like you."

"Ralts!" Ralts beamed.

"But I won't get it by standing here," Wally turned to the grass, where Nadine was coaxing him in. "I gotta be brave."

"Ralts," Ralts nodded.

"Right," Wally exhaled. "Let's do this."

He tightened his grip on Ralts before jogging to the grass.

"Glad you could make it," Nadine flashed him a smile. "Now c'mon, let's find you a pokémon."

The children and pokémon traversed the grass for almost 30 minutes. The creatures were surprisingly hard to look for. Maybe the zigzagoon warned them about Nadine and Torchic and scared them off to hide. It was an amusing guess, but Nadine hoped it wasn't so. She really wanted Wally to have a pokémon.

"It's no use," Wally stopped walking, promoting everyone to look at him. "We've looked everywhere. We'll never find a pokémon!"

"Hey, don't give up now, Wally," Nadine walked up to him. "We have to keep looking. Pokémon aren't always going to come to _us_ , you know."

"I know," Wally sighed, "but I've been thinking...what if I can't raise a pokémon?"

Nadine widened her eyes.

"I've never had a pokémon before," Wally continued, "and I rely on my parents to take care of me because I keep getting sick. How can I take care of a pokémon when I can't even take care of myself?"

Nadine frowned. Wally kept his eyes on the ground, his eyes dazed and glossy.

"Wally."

Wally gasped when Nadine took him by the shoulders.

"You _can't_ give up now," Nadine told him. "How can you know if you'll be good with pokémon if you don't give yourself a chance to find out?"

Wally blinked. "But...But I..."

"I know it's hard," Nadine continued. "I know it's scary, and I know you have many reasons to doubt yourself. But if you want to be something more than what you are now, you have to start doing things differently now. I'm letting you borrow my pokémon to help you capture your own," Nadine reminded. "I don't know if you'll have this opportunity again, but if there's anything I learned from my journey so far, it's that you need to take opportunities as they come, because you'll never know if they'll ever come again."

Wally blinked. He then lifted his head to look at her.

"You're right," he said. "I can't give up now."

"That's the spirit!" Nadine released his shoulders. "Now let's find you a pokémon!"

Wally returned her enthusiasm and nodded. He followed Nadine and her pokémon, but when his excitement grew, he started leading the way. Nadine smiled and followed him to a thicker patch. The part of the patch was considerably taller. Wally did start slowing down, but continued ahead of them.

Nadine felt something inside of her stir. Wally's perseverance was admirable. He was doubtful a few moments ago, and now he was their leader.

"W-Wait! I-I think I got something!"

Nadine gasped and ran to him.

"Whoa!"

Nadine swept the grass until she reached Wally's side. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw what he was looking at.

"Another, Ralts!" Wally pointed at the pokémon.

"Wow," Nadine stepped closer. "But raltses can detect our emotions, right? Do you think this one knows we want to capture it?"

The other ralts leaned forward and growled, surprising the group.

"I'm guessing that's a yes," Nadine concluded. "Torchic, you ready?"

"Torchic! Tor!" Torchic leaped forward.

"Ralts!" The other ralts shook his head. " _Ralts_!"

He pointed to a certain direction. When the group followed his finger, they were surprised to see it pointed at Ralts.

"You..." Nadine blinked, "want to battle my ralts?"

"Ralts!" The other ralts confirmed.

Nadine's ralts quivered and stepped back. She was about to run to Nadine, but the other ralts took a step forward, freezing her in place.

"I guess we have no choice," Nadine muttered. "Ralts, you'll have to fight back!"

"Ralts!" Ralts protested, shrinking in place.

"Don't be afraid, Ralts!" Nadine told her. "I believe in you!"

Ralts slowly uncurled. "Ralts..."

The other ralts grew impatient and charged.

"Ralts!" Nadine cried.

Ralts stood up straight and raised her arms. The other ralts then froze, suspended in the air.

"Whoa!" Wally jumped. "What is she doing?"

Nadine took out her pokédex and turned it on. She pointed it at Ralts and pressed a button.

"She's using Confusion."

The other ralts broke free and leapt back. Everyone expected him to unleash his own psychic attack, but he only returned to the ground and charged again.

"What is he doing?" Nadine asked. "He's a psychic pokémon, right? Why is he acting like a fighting type?"

Ralts stopped him again with Confusion.

"Wally," Nadine called out to Wally, "Ralts is your temporary pokémon now. Command her to attack."

Wally gasped and turned to Ralts. "Umm..."

The other ralts broke free again and charged. Ralts stopped him again with Confusion.

"Is Confusion all she knows?" Wally asked.

"I don't know," Nadine told him, "But use it to your advantage! If you want to win your battles, you have to learn to improvise!"

Wally tucked his head. "G-Got it,"

The other ralts broke through and charged.

"Ralts, use Confusion again!" Wally commanded, "But this time, spin him in the air!"

Ralts caught the other ralts and raised her arms. She then encircled the air with her hands, entrancing Nadine with her movements. Her opponent was brought up and encircled as well. The ralts started getting dizzy when Ralts spun him faster.

"Okay, Ralts," Wally nodded, "now drop him!"

Ralts dropped her hands. The other ralts fell to the ground, but his impact was cushioned by the grass. Wally gasped and ran to where he was.

"Wally!" Nadine tossed him a Poké Ball. "Capture it quick before it wakes up!"

Wally fumbled a bit, but managed to catch it. "H-How do I do this?"

"Press the button and throw it at him!"

Wally shakily pressed the button and threw it at the ralts. When the ralts started to get up, he was knocked back down with the Poké Ball. A red beam of light enveloped the pokémon, absorbing him into the capsule.

"N-Now wh-what?" Wally asked.

"Now we wait," Nadine answered.

The Poké Ball shook from left to right. It trembled from time to time, then returned to jerking in different directions. Everyone held their breath. Their hearts beat faster and faster as the b-

The ball froze. A light flashed from the button, and a low tune sounded through the field.

Wally exhaled.

"I caught it!" he exclaimed. "I caught my first pokémon!"

He ran to the ball and raised it in the air. Torchic and Ralts leapt in response and cheered.

"Good job, Wally!" Nadine cheered. "You did it!"

"And it was all thanks to you, Nadine!" Wally beamed and turned to Ralts. "And you too, Ralts!"

Ralts squealed and bowed.

"I couldn't have done this without you guys," Wally turned back to Nadine. "How can I pay you back for this?"

"You can start by taking care of your ralts," Nadine answered. "Let's go back to the Pokémon Center. It'll be the first time our raltses get treated in one."

Wally gasped. "You're right!"

He threw a fist in the air, making Nadine's smile widen.

"Let's go!"

* * *

"Oh don't be sad, Torchic."

Nadine stroked Torchic's feathers as Torchic sulked on her lap. "You'll battle again, I know it."

Nadine, Wally, and Torchic were back in the center's balcony. It was Torchic's first time seeing the city from there. Torchic was delighted at first, but didn't stay satiated. He didn't want to sight-see, he wanted to _battle_.

"I bet Torchic's a strong fighter," Wally petted Torchic.

"He is," Nadine petted Torchic as well. "We're gonna train so he can get even stronger."

"But it's getting late," Wally looked at his watch. "I don't think you'll have time to train."

"Well I do have time to get to Rustboro City," Nadine typed on her phone. "It's only am hour from here by bus."

"No, it will take an hour to get to the _bustop_ in front of Petalburg Woods," Wally corrected. "Once you get to the bustop, you have to walk through the woods, take another bus, and _then_ you're in Rustboro. The rangers in the woods don't allow people to drive through to prevent disturbing the pokémon."

"It must take forever to get from here to there," Nadine frowned.

"People used to take an electric tram that goes through the woods," Wally told her, "but the tram's been out of service for a while now. People walked and rode bikes ever since."

"How long did it take to get there when the tram worked?" Nadine asked.

"An hour."

Nadine raked her scalp and groaned.

"Great," she muttered. "And I have to see my dad too. Oh crap, I have to call him!"

Nadine selected her father's number in her phone's contacts, but stopped.

"Wait," she said. "The gym doesn't close until six, and he can't answer his phone during work."

"I'm sorry..."

Nadine turned to Wally.

"You used your time to travel to help me catch my pokémon," Wally lowered his head. "You'd be in Rustboro right now if you didn't help me."

"Hey, hey," Nadine sat closer to him, holding Torchic so he doesn't fall. "Helping you wasn't a waste of time, if that's what you're implying."

"But I made you delay your journey," Wally said. "It's okay if you're mad at me."

"I'm not _mad_ at you, Wally," Nadine insisted. "In fact, I'm actually glad I ran into you."

Wally looked up. "You are?"

"I don't know if I told you already," Nadine sighed, "but I'm Norman's daughter."

Wally widened his eyes. "Norman as in the _gym_ _leader_?"

"Yup," Nadine sighed again, "and it's basically the only reason people think so highly of me. The only reason I got Torchic was because my dad had connections with the head professor at...Littleroot."

"Professor Birch?"

"Yeah," Nadine nodded. "If my dad wasn't the gym leader, I'd probably be in your place. Heck, I probably wouldn't be here at all. If my dad wasn't the gym leader here, I'd still be in Kanto."

"Your life is so cool," Wally leaned forward. "Why don't you sound happy?"

"Because I don't feel like I should be," Nadine answered. "I'm not here because of me, I'm here because of my dad and his connections."

"There's nothing wrong with asking for help," Wally interjected. "I got my pokémon because of you."

"But I was only able to help you because I'm the _gym leader's daughter_ ," Nadine told him, "and it seemed like that was all I'm ever going to be. But then I met you..."

She gestured at Wally.

"And I saw how much you changed because you believed in yourself," she said. "Then I thought if you can do it, why not me, you know? If I believe I can be more than a gym leader's daughter, then maybe I can be more than a gym leader's daughter too..."

Wally smiled and tucked his knees. He rested his arms on them and leaned on them with his chin. "You're already more than a gym leader's daughter."

Nadine blinked. "I am?"

"Yeah," Wally said. "Anyone can be born a gym leader's daughter, but not just anyone will help me. You gave me hope, Nadine, and that makes you special. To me, at least."

Nadine gaped. "W-Wow," she said. "Thanks, Wally. That means a lot to me."

Something small hit her right cheek. When Nadine picked it out, she saw it was a pink petal.

"It must be fall already," Wally commented. The wind was becoming noticeably stronger. "Or at least, it's coming soon. It's still pretty hot though."

"Yeah," Nadine glanced down at the petal. "It is."

The two then heard their names through the intercom, and they rose from the benches to return inside.

* * *

"Well, this is the bustop to your dad's gym," Wally said as they stopped walking. His and Nadine's pokémon were in their Poké Balls, so it was just Wally and Nadine standing on the sidewalk. Cars started to accumulate on the roads, as well as the people on the streets. The sun was halfway toward the horizon, waiting for the cue to set.

"Thanks, Wally," Nadine nodded. "You heading home now?"

"Yeah, but it won't be home for long," Wally told her. "I'm moving to Verdanturf Town to live with my aunt and uncle. The air is cleaner there, so my parents are sending me there to see if I get healthier."

"I see," Nadine hummed. "You excited to move?"

"Not at first," Wally admitted, "but after catching Ralts, I think I'm going to be okay. I don't plan on staying on Verdanturf long either."

"Really?" Nadine blinked. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna travel the region," Wally answered. "You were right about what you said earlier. If I want to be more than I am now, I gotta do things differently now. I need to learn how to take care of myself, and I can't do that if I'm relying on my family."

Nadine nodded. "Yeah."

"I'm really glad I met you, Nadine," Wally told her. "I really hope we see each other again someday."

"Do you still have my number?" Nadine asked.

"Yeah."

"Then we'll see each other again," Nadine smiled. "Take care of yourself, Wally."

"Thanks, Nadine," Wally bowed. "Bye."

Nadine watched Wally turn around and walk to another direction. Wally's shoulders were slightly slumped, but at least he was walking straighter than he was a few hours ago.

Nadine looked at her phone. Her phone was ringing, and a man in his late 30s was displayed in the caller ID. Nadine smiled.

"Dad."

.

.

.

Thank you so much for reading! Any thoughts you'd like to share with me? I'd love to hear them.

What an adventure Nadine had with Wally. What's going to happen with her dad? Stay tuned to find out!


	4. When a Petal Falls

Hello, everyone! Chapter 04 has finally arrived.

If you've been reading my profile updates, you'd know that I was planning on discontinuing this story due to low stats; but then I realized how new the story is and how many people want to see it progress and decided that the story should stay. I do believe this story has great potential, and I'm glad that a lot of you do so too.

A couple of things to note before we start:  
1\. Yes, **QUEENSPELLER67** , there will be OCs in the story. A couple of them are actually in this chapter. There will definitely be more OCs in the future, so I hope they catch your hearts as the characters in the source material do.  
2\. When beta-ing the chapter, it has been brought to my attention that my ethnicity's culture has leaked into the characters' behaviors. Try to guess which behaviors have been culturally-influenced and from which culture they were from. A little challenge might make the read more interesting.  
3\. A scene from the anime is in the chapter and I claim no ownership over it. I'm just saying in case someone calls me out for stealing it.

I'd like to thank **The Great Butler** for beta-ing this chapter. You've been a great help.

Enjoy!

* * *

Nadine pressed the green icon on her phone and raised the device to her ear. The glass of her touchscreen kissed her cheek as she greeted the speaker on the other line.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hey, Nadine," Norman responded from the other end. He struggled to keep his voice in a low register, but his voice fluctuated subtly from high to low as he added, "it's almost 4 PM, where are you?"

"Sorry, Dad," Nadine apologized. "I got caught up in something."

"Oh?" Shuffling was heard from Norman's end. "In what?"

"I met a guy who wanted his own pokémon," Nadine told him, "so I helped him catch one."

"How old was this guy?" Norman asked. His voice was deeper now.

"Probably my age," Nadine answered, "maybe a year younger."

"Okay then," Norman hummed though his voice remained stern. "He didn't try anything on you, did he?"

"No, Dad," Nadine rolled her eyes. She shook her head as well for she understood what her father was implying, "he was good."

"Good," Norman stated. Then he sighed and shuffling was heard on his side again. "Unfortunately, I won't be available again until six. How far away are you from the gym?"

"I'm already in Petalburg City," Nadine told him. She turned to her left to search for one of the city's public transportations. "I'm at least an hour from the gym from the bus stop I'm at."

"Did you encounter any troubles?" Norman asked.

"No," Nadine shook her head, "I'm good."

"Good," Norman sighed. He paused for a moment to think. "I'll let my receptionist know to expect you."

"Thanks," Nadine said, "but I don't want to sit in the lobby for an hour. I'll look around the buildings outside the gym while I wait."

"Are you sure?" Norman asked, his voice slightly rising as he did so. "You'll be safer in the gym."

"Don't worry, Dad," Nadine assured. "I'll be on the same street. I won't go far."

Norman was silent for a moment, leaving Nadine in light suspense as she waited for his answer. It didn't take long until her father responded, but it was enough for her held breath to make her yearn for air.

"Okay then," Norman said, "just come to the gym as soon as it's six."

Nadine gave him an unseen smile. "You got it, Dad."

"Okay then," Norman sighed, "I'll...I'll see you soon."

"'Kay," Nadine nodded, "bye, Dad."

She glanced at Norman's contact picture before pressing the red button below the words "Call Ended" popped up on the screen with the time duration of their call before disappearing to her phone's home screen. Nadine slipped the device into her right dress pocket, but it didn't remain there for long. She unlocked the phone again and searched for a coffee shop nearest to her dad's gym. The browse would keep her busy as she waited for a bus, and she was craving for something iced and sweet.

~.~

Nadine looked at her phone's screen, the building in front of her, and then back at her phone.

"This is it," she walked forward, "Dad's gym."

She gripped the caramel frappuccino with her left hand and her phone in the right. The Petalburg Gym was bigger than she expected. It was more of a fortress than an actual building, with towering beige walls and a dome constructed of metal beams and thick plexiglass. The inside, however, seemed even bigger. Once Nadine greeted the receptionist, who nodded at her expectantly, she peeked into what was the main gym and took a step back. Countless platforms of battling trainers and pokémon covered the floors and were separated by pathways for people to either spectate or walk through. Right at the center of the maze-like arena was the largest and tallest platform of them all. It was currently empty, but Nadine could still imagine trainers in their marked rectangles commanding their pokémon to perform their respective attacks. Above the platform was a giant cube covered with screens on all sides. Nadine guessed it was the scoreboard, which made sense considering the walls of the large hall were covered in seats. Nadine felt her breath leave her, even more so when she saw specs of hallways lead to even more rooms in the building. Who knew how many there were, and how big?

"Can I help you with anything?"

Nadine turned around to see the receptionist eyeing her from the desk. The receptionist had dark purple hair and blue eyes and wore a white and blue uniform shirt and skirt. She remained sitting at her post but stared at the brunette curiously.

"I'm Nadine," Nadine walked toward her, "Norman's daughter."

"Oh!" the receptionist jumped, immediately straightening her posture. "Yes, of course, he's expecting you."

The lady picked up the phone on her desk and pressed two buttons. She waited patiently for an answer as Nadine leaned on the counter.

"Hello, sir," the receptionist greeted, twirling the phone cord around her finger, "your daughter is here."

Nadine stepped back when the receptionist became silent. The woman then said a quick farewell before hanging up the phone.

"Your father said a gym student will pick you up in just a moment," she told Nadine.

"Oh," Nadine blinked, "umm, okay."

"You'd probably want to finish your drink now," the receptionist added, pointing to the icy drink in Nadine's hand. "It's not allowed in the gym."

"Oh," Nadine frowned, looking at the half-finished coffee, "okay…"

She gave a quick nod to the receptionist before walking to an orange couch. She then sat down on the cushions and proceeded to drink her beverage dry. She didn't stop until the cup was empty, so she immediately recoiled when brain freeze hit her skull.

"N-Not smart," she commented, groaning as prickly sensations stung her nerves.

"Nadine?"

Nadine groaned again and looked up. Standing in front of her was a boy that appeared to be about two or three years older than her. He had dirty brown hair, shiny orange eyes, and a beige full-body workout outfit. He, Nadine realized, dressed like the people she saw battling in the arena.

"Y-Yeah?" she responded.

"Your dad told me to get you," the boy stated.

Nadine nodded, releasing her slowly-recovering brain. "Okay."

As she started standing up, the boy walked ahead and waved at her to follow him. Nadine disposed her cup in a trash can before following him to the arena.

"So…" she drawled, eyeing the battlers they passed, "you're a student of my dad's?"

"Yeah," the boy said without turning around, "one of his first ones."

"Is he…" Nadine tucked her head, "good?"

"Yeah," the boy answered, "but he's only been here for a month so…"

"Oh. I see," Nadine slowly nodded, "you need more time to really know."

"Yeah."

Nadine looked up to see that they were entering one of the light yellow hallways she spotted earlier. She felt her excitement grow as one of the hall's fluorescent lights illuminated her skin. She heard screams, grunts, and shouts behind the walls, along with crashes and thumps that could be felt from the floors. Nadine glanced at the boy in front of her, who seemed unfazed by the activity around them. She then wondered if he was one of the ones causing the commotion. She felt guilty since she probably interrupted his training but then washed it away with a wave of curiosity. If the commotion resulted from the gym students, then what was her dad, the gym leader, doing?

"We gotta take the elevator," the boy said, prompting Nadine to look at him. "Afraid of heights?"

He and Nadine stopped walking to stand in front of an elevator.

"No," Nadine answered.

"Good."

The doors opened to reveal an elevator cart. The walls of the vehicle were made of clear glass but only revealed black painted bricks behind them. Nadine raised an eyebrow and looked at the student.

"We have to go up first," the boy explained. He then waved a hand to gesture Nadine into the cart. Once Nadine was inside, he pressed the button beside a plate engraved "3", closing the doors behind her. There were three floors in the gym, Nadine realized. If the first floor was enormous, how much more were the second and third floors?

Once the doors opened, Nadine expected to find another large hallway illuminated by bright white lights. What she saw instead surprised her, maybe even scared her. The passage she saw was indeed huge, but the fluorescent lights she expected were replaced by smaller lights that lit the passage dimly. Nadine shrunk and turned to the gym student.

"Why is the hall so dark?" she asked.

"Don't worry," the student assured, "your dad's office is much brighter."

It didn't answer Nadine's question, but Nadine brushed it off when the student stepped forward. It comforted her a bit that he was still walking ahead. She followed his wide strides closely as they dove deeper into their path. There were only three doors in the hallway. The first door was on their right and the second one was on their left. When the student's steps slowed down, Nadine acknowledged the orange double doors at the end of the hall. She was surprised she didn't notice them sooner. The doors were practically under a spotlight.

The student raised a fist and gave one of the doors two knocks.

"Yes?" a familiar voice responded. Nadine froze.

"It's Damian," the student replied. "I'm here with your daughter."

There was a brief pause. Nadine curled, wondering what her father could be doing. She leaned forward for his response and then jumped when the doors opened. She watched the orange wood disappear to the side as a man emerged from bright lights. He wore a maroon sports jacket, gray workout pants, and black slippers. His navy blue eyes searched the space in front of him until they landed on Nadine. He smiled and, slowly, Nadine smiled too.

"Hello, Nadine," Norman greeted, "glad you could make it."

He then turned to Damian, who looked back at him expectantly.

"Thank you, Damian," he acknowledged, "go ahead and tell Satou you're all dismissed. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Yes sir," Damian nodded. Nadine was about to say goodbye, but the boy walked off before she had a chance to.

"I'm so glad you made it, Nadine," Norman grinned, gesturing her to enter his bright office. "Did you encounter any problems on the way here?"

"No," Nadine shook her head, slowly entering the room, "your gym is huge, by the way."

Norman chuckled as he closed the doors. "Yes," he acceded, "it is."

Nadine looked around. The walls were beige and the carpet was light brown. The office was small but seemed smaller due to the metal file cabinets lining the area. There was a wide wooden desk in the middle of the room where there were several stacks of paper surrounding a gray desktop computer. Nadine eyed the red leather chairs in front of the desk and sat on one.

"How do you manage it?" she asked. "The gym, I mean."

"Well as you can see," Norman approached the black leather chair behind his desk and sat on it, "part of it involves a lot of paperwork."

"I thought you train gym students," Nadine said.

"I do," Norman confirmed, "just through my gym trainers. Once I know the students are in good hands, I come up here to do the paperwork."

"Which one do you do more?" Nadine asked.

"Depends on what needs to be attended to more," Norman crossed his arms. "If the students and trainers need more attention, I spend more time with them than the paperwork and vice versa. Both are a lot of work as they are, so if one or both of them gets too much, I often have to stay late at the gym to get them all done."

Nadine frowned, tucking her hands between her legs. "That's why you always come home late…" she guessed.

Norman gave her a sad smile. "Yes," he confirmed, "sometimes, as you already know, I don't come home at all."

"Where do you sleep?" Nadine asked.

" _If_ I sleep," Norman looked up, "I sleep in the apartment next to the office. It would've been my permanent home, but I wanted to buy a house for you and your mother."

Nadine's frown deepened.

"Anyway," Norman sighed, sitting up straight to look at his daughter, "why don't you tell me about your day. You said you helped a boy capture a pokémon?"

Nadine nodded. "Yeah," she confirmed, "his name was Wally, and I helped him catch a ralts. Before that, I caught a ralts of my own."

"Really now?" Norman raised his head. "May I see it?"

Nadine nodded and took out a Poké Ball.

"Come on out, Ralts!"

With a light toss of the ball, Ralts emerged in a beam of light and stood beside her trainer. She looked at Nadine and her surroundings curiously as Nadine picked her up.

"What an interesting pokémon," Norman complimented. When Ralts finally noticed the gym leader's presence, she curled slightly into Nadine's chest.

"Thanks," Nadine rubbed Ralts's back to comfort her, "I met her when she was running away from the same zigzagoon that attacked Professor Birch. She didn't want me and Torchic to leave her, so now she's part of the team."

"Amazing," Norman commented, "not a full day has passed, and yet you've befriended another pokémon." He looked a bit uncomfortable as he said that, but Nadine didn't notice.

"She doesn't like to battle, though," Nadine said as Ralts started to uncurl, "it makes me curious as to what she does want to do."

"Well, not every pokémon has to battle, Nadine," Norman told her. "Sometimes pokémon can just be good companions."

Nadine sighed, "I know."

"So what's your plan, Nadine?" Norman leaned forward. "Do you want to battle gyms?"

Nadine shifted in her seat, tightening her grip on Ralts so she doesn't fall. "Maybe," she said, "I've battled a bunch of people before I got here and won every single one."

Norman widened his eyes. "That's great news!" he beamed. "So you haven't lost a battle?"

"No," Nadine shook her head, "not yet, at least."

"Well if you keep training, you might bring that luck to the gyms," Norman told her. "People who challenge gyms are tough, but gym students are tougher."

"Like Damian?" Nadine guessed.

"Oh, yes," Norman leaned back, "Damian is actually one of my tougher students. You might face him if you decide to challenge my gym."

Nadine flinched, tightening her embrace on Ralts. "Then I battle _you_ ," she asked, "right?"

Norman blinked and nodded, more stiffly that time. "Yes," he confirmed, "then you battle me."

Nadine shifted in her seat again. Ralts sensed her discomfort and looked up at her trainer.

"Can we have a battle?" Nadine suddenly asked, forcing herself to look at her father.

"A battle?" Norman blinked. "Right now?"

"Yes."

Norman slowly uncrossed his arms. He briefly widened his eyes as he leaned back in his chair.

"What," he gaped, "what made you decide this?"

Nadine looked down. She asked herself that question, wondering where her sudden proposition had come from. Then she remembered her time with Wally and the chances he took that changed him in a matter of hours. A wave of hope suddenly washed over her and she looked back up to her father with determined eyes.

"If I'm going to battle you someday, maybe defeat you," Nadine told him, "then I want to know what I'm dealing with."

Norman widened his eyes at the bold remark. He looked at his daughter for any sign of ruse and found none. A smirk stretched across his face.

"Very well, Nadine," he declared. "Let's battle."

~.~

The battle arena, the platform at the center of the gym, seemed a lot bigger when Nadine was standing on it. On the other far end of the space stood her father, who was tossing a Poké Ball up and down. Another man, a middle-aged man with black hair and round glasses, stood at the line separating the two battlers into two sections. His name, Nadine learned while he was attaching strange patches on her pokémon, was Satou. He was Norman's right-hand man.

Nadine jumped when the screen cube above her lit up with a low-pitched screech. When she saw what the screen displayed, she saw a rectangular picture of Norman next to another picture saying "B2." Below each picture was a green bar, and between those bars was a clock that read "5:00." Nadine blinked. Gym battles in Hoenn only lasted five minutes?

"I know," Norman spoke out like he read her mind. "Hoenn regulations are a bit different from Kanto's."

Nadine glanced at her father, and then back at the screens. "Oh," she mouthed. What else was different here compared to Kanto, she asked herself. But she didn't have much time to speculate when her dad spoke out.

"Are you ready, Nadine?" he asked.

Nadine looked back at him and gulped. She gripped her Poké Ball, shaking as she did so. "Y-Yeah."

"Very well then," Satou boomed from his position. "First one to reduce their opponent's HP bar to zero, or is left with the most HP by the end of the battle, wins the match."

Nadine flinched. Those green bars were HP bars? What were HP bars?

"Ready?"

Nadine jumped. Wait she had a—

"Begin!"

"Vigoroth!" Norman tossed his Poké Ball. "Come on out!"

Nadine gaped as a white, ape-like creature burst from the red and white sphere. It landed on the arena with a thud, then let out a loud roar that echoed through the dome.

"V-Vigoroth?" Nadine trembled. She had seen her father's vigoroth before, but this one seemed different from the one she knew. Wait. Did her father's slakoth evolve?

"You might want to send out your pokémon now, Nadine," Norman suggested, a hand resting patiently on his hip. "Time is running out."

Nadine gasped and looked up at the screens. Time was running out indeed. The five-minute mark turned to 4:57...4:56…

"T-Torchic!" Nadine sputtered, flinging her Poké Ball in the air.

Torchic had emerged, as expected, and landed with a softer thud. The second he saw Vigoroth, however, he started shaking. Just like his trainer was. Norman saw this and narrowed his eyes.

"Nadine," he called out. "Would you still like to battle?"

Nadine's breath hitched. "O-Of course!"

Norman frowned. "Alright then. Why don't you make the first move."

"T-Torchic," Nadine called out, "use Peck."

Torchic closed his eyes and charged toward Vigoroth. His form was still trembling, even while his beak was sharpening. He leaped into the air and dove to his opponent.

"Vigoroth, dodge it," Norman commanded.

Like a fluid dancer, Vigoroth swung swiftly to the side. Neither Nadine nor Torchic expected him to dodge so quickly, so Torchic was left flailing in the air, struggling to get into a position that could make him land on his feet.

"Vigoroth, use Slash," Norman added.

The attack was almost as quick as a flash of light, but to Nadine, the next few seconds went by incredibly slow. She didn't get to register Vigoroth's attack, but she did hear Torchic cry out before landing abruptly on the ground. She didn't see the HP bar immediately drop to zero, nor did she hear the buzzer ring through the arena. She only focused on Torchic, and how she was unconsciously running to her pokémon's twitching body.

"Torchic has been defeated," Satou declared. "The winner is Norman, gym leader of Petalburg City."

Norman's frown deepened as he returned his own pokémon to his Poké Ball. He steadily approached his daughter, whose trembling back was turned to conceal her expression.

"Nadine," he called out gently, "I am so, so sorry."

Nadine suddenly pulled Torchic to her chest and wailed, her tears pattering Torchic's down. Norman cringed at his spot while Satou grievously turned away. A wave of guilt washed over the gym leader and his arms were suddenly around his daughter, squeezing her for comfort.

Norman clenched his fists and silently cursed himself. He shouldn't have agreed to battle Nadine, especially while knowing she was only a beginning trainer. He could've suggested her to train first until she was ready, or, at least, explain to her the rules and regulations of the Pokémon League before partaking in her first gym battle. He would've done it for other beginning trainers; he was a gym leader, after all. So why didn't he do his job tonight when it concerned his own daughter? Did his duty as a gym leader and as a father clashed in a way that removed the line between them?

Norman took a breath and looked down at Nadine. To his relief, she wasn't struggling out of his hold or anything a child would do when she throws a tantrum. Instead, the little girl was curled up to his chest, sobbing into his shirt while hugging her torchic protectively. That was what Nadine was, Norman remembered. A little girl, only ten years old. Her reaction to her first gym loss, even though it wasn't official, was normal, but it wasn't necessary. As Norman had realized before, he could've stopped the battle before it began. At first, he thought it was because he was so proud of Nadine, he overestimated her. It was a reasonable belief since Nadine had indeed accomplished a lot as a rookie.

But the more he thought about how young his daughter was, yet how prepared she was to set off on her own, the more horrible he felt when he surmised another reason for his actions. What if he agreed to battle Nadine, knowing she would lose, so she would be discouraged from leaving? What if he was willing to humiliate his daughter in exchange for keeping her with her parents so they could continue taking care of her? He and Caroline did discuss the issue over the weekend, and he could still remember the terrible expression his wife had held when they were only a couple days from their child's departure. What did his own expression look like?

Norman felt his stomach turn as Nadine slowly looked up at him. Her eyes were puffy, her cheeks were stained with tears, and her mouth let out a hiccup before she could stagger a request. "C—hic—Can we," Nadine sniffled, "Can we go to—hic—the Pokémon Center?"

Norman frowned as he turned his attention to Torchic. The pokémon was in great pain, with his body still twitching and his eyes barely open, but Torchic's focus wasn't on his own misery. His eyes were on Nadine. Norman recognized the look on the pokémon's face. It was the same look his own pokèmon gave him whenever they lost a battle. It was a combination of worry for his trainer's well-being and shame for causing her disappointment. Norman didn't know if Nadine knew what her pokémon was feeling, but he had an idea she could, at least, sense it.

Whatever the case might be, Norman would have to deal with it later. Torchic needed his trainer and Nadine needed her father.

"Okay," Norman nodded, giving Nadine a quick kiss on the head. "Let's go."

Nadine nodded and allowed him to help her stand. She pulled Torchic even closer to her chest as her father wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Can you close up for me tonight?" she heard him request to Satou. "I need to leave now."

"Go ahead," Satou nodded. "I'll handle things from here."

Norman nodded back appreciatively and guided Nadine to the exit. Nadine swept away her tears bit by bit until the two were outside of the facility. The air was warm, but the breeze was strong. The skies were darker, the street lights were bright, and the cars zooming past them were loud. Nadine couldn't help but be overwhelmed. Despite everything that happened, what she gained, accomplished, and lost, she was still unprepared for this new and unfamiliar world.

"Come," Norman nudged her gently to the left. "The Pokémon Center is this way."

~.~

Nadine stared at the soup of her ramen bowl, her chopsticks limp between her fingers. Norman gave her another worried glance and swallowed another piece of crab meat. After dropping off Torchic at the Pokémon Center, Norman suggested they have dinner at a nearby ramen shop. The ramen there was good, he had said, but Nadine had yet to eat the one she ordered.

Norman sighed.

"Nadine," he called out. "I'm...I'm sorry."

Nadine blinked and looked up. Then she frowned.

"You shouldn't be," she told him. "You don't apologize to every trainer you defeat, so you shouldn't apologize to me."

"But you weren't challenging my gym, Nadine," Norman retorted. "You're my daughter and a beginning trainer as well. I should've taken it easy on you."

"But I didn't want you to take it easy on me," Nadine stated. "I wanted to know what it was like to take on a gym leader and see if I could win. At least now I know," Nadine scowled and looked back down, "I could never stand a chance."

"That's not true, Nadine!" Norman leaned forward. "Like I said, you're only getting started. Gym leaders like me have years of experience, so it's only expected that we are good at what we do."

He then leaned back.

"I was in the same position you're in many years ago," he continued. "I've lost many battles, and still do today, but I train every day to get stronger and stronger because I love what I do. If you really like battling and the thrill of achieving victory through the efforts of both you and your pokémon, you will become better."

Nadine blinked. She and her mother always knew their husband and father was always working because he liked his job, but she never fully understood the fact until that moment. His explanation made her feel less alone, which made her feel slightly better, but his last sentence gave her another thing to contemplate. If she really liked battling, as her father had said, she could get better at it, but did she like battling to begin with? Sure she liked watching her father battle other trainers, and partaking in some with her own pokémon was exhilarating, but were battles something she really wanted to dive into? If the answer was yes, could she do it in this new world? Would it be easier in Kanto, would it be just as hard, or would it be even harder?

"You know…"

Nadine looked up.

"You can always come back home," Norman told her. "You don't have to be ready for the world just yet. Your mother and I are more than happy to take care of you."

Nadine froze, her eyes becoming wider. She then stared at her ramen bowl again, which was cooling as it remained untouched. Come back home, Nadine repeated in her head. She might not be sure she wanted to challenge gyms, but did she really want to go back home? Her father might be referring to their house in Littleroot, but home to her was still back in Kanto. Speaking of Kanto, she was really missing her life in the region. Things were much simpler and decisions were much less difficult to make.

"Nadine," Norman called out, his forehead wrinkling in worry, "are you alright?"

"I just...I just," Nadine let out a ragged sigh, "I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?" Norman asked.

"I don't know if I want to battle," Nadine admitted, "then again, I don't know if I want to go back...to Littleroot."

"Oh," Norman leaned back, finally realizing the situation, "you miss Kanto."

Nadine sighed again and stiffly nodded. "Yeah."

Norman relaxed his expression and replaced it with a frown. "I'm sorry, Nadine," he said. "I thought you would be as excited to move to this region as your mother and I were. I didn't think about the possibility of the opposite happening. I'm sorry I didn't consider your feelings."

Nadine shifted slightly in her seat, eyes remaining silently on her ramen bowl.

"Tell you what, Nadine," Norman sat up. "Why don't we turn our meals into take-out and finish them in my apartment?"

Nadine's head snapped up. "You mean," she blinked, "the apartment inside the gym?"

"Yes," Norman nodded. "You can also stay there for a while, if you want, to collect your thoughts. That way, you'll be out in the world without straying far from your family. You'll make your decision better when you're in between the worlds you want to choose from."

Nadine's mouth was agape. She blinked a few times as she searched for a response in her head.

"W-Wow," she ended up stammering, "I don't...know what to say."

"I may not be able to send you back to Kanto," Norman told her, "but I can make your life in Hoenn much easier."

Nadine smiled. Her shoulders relaxed a bit as her chest suddenly felt lighter. "Thanks, Dad."

Norman reciprocated with a sadder smile, "You're welcome." As much as it would make him happy if he convinced Nadine to stay with him and his wife, he knew he wouldn't truly be satisfied if Nadine herself wasn't happy. Her decision on what to do with her life was her choice. Whatever she decided, he vowed to himself, he would support her on it.

~.~

"Yes, Mom," Nadine chuckled, "the apartment is nice."

There were no lies to that statement. Norman's one-bedroom apartment was surprisingly chic. The walls were navy blue, the carpet was soft and gray, appliances were silver, counters were granite, and furniture was rich mahogany. The central air conditioner hummed lowly in the background, releasing refreshing breezes of cool air into the living room that cooled the father and daughter from the summer heat.

Norman and Nadine sat on one of the couches with Caroline on Norman's speakerphone. They were just talking about rules and regulations of the Pokémon League when their mother and wife called. The woman was in complete panic when she called her husband, but when she heard her daughter speak through the phone, her voice relaxed—but only a little bit.

"How long are you going to be at the apartment?" Caroline continued. "I'm coming tomorrow morning with your father with trays of food. You better wake up early tomorrow because we're all having breakfast before you and your father run off to your antics."

"What?" Nadine sat on the edge of her seat. "But Mom, you don't have to do that."

"No buts, young lady!" Caroline scolded. "If you'd rather stay in an apartment in a gym than home with your parents, then the least you could do is eat your meals with us."

Nadine groaned. Then she chuckled and bit back a smile. As much as she wanted to sleep in tomorrow morning, she couldn't help but be flattered that her mother had missed her so much in the short time she had been away. Then she remembered that her mother was going to miss both her and her husband now, so Caroline's reaction was expected—even appreciated. Nadine was starting to miss her mother, so it was good to know that her mother was missing her as well.

"Okay," Nadine conceded.

"Good," Caroline hummed. "Now, Norman, I'd like you to come home now please."

"Alright, honey," Norman gave her an unseen smile. "I'll be there."

"Good night, Nadine!" Caroline bid her daughter farewell. "We'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Good night, Mom," Nadine responded.

Norman retrieved his cellphone from the glass coffee table in front of them and ended the conversation. He then pocketed the device and gave Nadine a sly grin.

"Well," he said as stood up, "I'm going to go now. Will you be okay here?"

"Yeah," Nadine nodded, "I'll call you if I need anything."

"Glad to hear it," Norman leaned in to kiss her on the head. "Good night, Nadine."

Nadine looked up and smiled, "Good night, Dad."

Norman huffed in content before heading to the front door. Right before he turned the knob, however, he stopped right in front of the exit.

"Nadine."

Nadine looked up.

"Despite everything that happened," Norman said without turning around, "I _am_ proud of you. I hope you know that."

Nadine widened her eyes, her jaw dropping open as well. She didn't know what to say to his statement but wasn't given the chance to when Norman exited the room. The front door clicked closed, leaving her alone with the apathetic hum of the air conditioner.

~.~

Nadine sighed as the steam of hot water engulfed the shower stall. The water from the shower head pattered on the tiled floors, drumming a steady rhythm that brought Nadine even deeper into her trance. The bath might not answer everything she wanted to figure out, but it did help her silence her loud thoughts. She would work out her problems eventually; but for now, she needed a bath and a good night's sleep.

Unfortunately, someone else wasn't sharing the same resolve. Outside in the living room, Torchic sat on a red couch in front of the wide-screen television with Ralts manning the remote beside him. Ralts tried to convince him to watch the shows with her, but when Torchic refused to lift his head and wipe his frown, she gave up and focused on the TV instead. She was just introduced to it after all, and the show she was watching had her engrossed in the screen. A beautifly was on stage in front of a live audience with her trainer giving her commands. Ralts could tell that the pokémon and her trainer were nervous, but their dedication to give a good performance was inspiring. The beautifly's flying disc exchange with her trainer was impressive, but it was the tornado she conjured with Silver Wind that changed the game. Both the audience and the judges were stunned by the performance, and so was the psychic watching from the apartment. There was a large screen above the stage that presented a decimal number but Ralts didn't care about that. She kept her eyes on the beautifly and her trainer bowing to the audience—and the audience returning their gesture with a loud applause.

Ralts was practically hopping on the couch at that point, but Torchic still refused to care. He was engrossed in his thoughts and the embarrassing memories associated with them. He might not have understood the exact dialogue his trainer had exchanged with other people, but he knew that she and her speakers held him to a high regard. He won Nadine their first battle and the battles after and saved a professor before all that because he was strong. So why, in Nadine's battle to prove herself to her powerful father, did he lose so easily? Was it because he was nervous? Sure Nadine was nervous as well, but that shouldn't have stopped him. What if someone else who was powerful, like an assailant, challenged them to a battle? What if Nadine was terrified, which she surely would be if the situation ever happened? Would he be strong for them both, or allow her to get hurt because he was just as afraid as she was?

Torchic gasped when Ralts gave him a nudge. Ralts then gave him a comforting smile and pointed at the screen. That's right, he remembered. Ralts could sense emotions around her. She probably sensed his dimming mood and was trying to cheer him up again. Torchic wasn't about to pay her any heed, just as he didn't earlier that night; but then an explosion sounded from the television, and he was tempted to look. That was when he widened his eyes and leaned forward. The pokémon in the television weren't showing off anymore.

They were battling.

~.~

Nadine emerged from the bathroom with matching pink pajamas and a white towel wrapped around her hair. She had already brushed her teeth inside the bathroom, so all that was left was to comb her hair dry so she could sleep more comfortably. It was 10 PM on the digital clock beside the bed so she expected her pokémon to be just as tired and yearning for a quiet night as she was.

But she was quickly stood corrected. Even before she emerged from the bathroom, she could hear Torchic and Ralts cry out in despair, triumph, or both from the other room. She definitely had to check up on them. At the volumes they were going at, it sounded like they were only one cry away from blowing up the apartment.

Nadine grabbed her wide-toothed comb and cell phone and rushed into the living room. She didn't expect anything before she entered, so she was surprised to see that her pokémon were only watching TV.

"What are you guys, watching?" she asked as she marched toward them. "You guys are so loud."

The pokémon didn't reply and remained focused on what they were watching. Nadine looked at the television then, and what she saw made her rush to sit between her two pokémon. An intense battle was happening on stage. There was a live audience, three judges sitting on the sidelines, an MC narrating the scenes, and two trainers dueling through their pokémon. What caught Nadine's attention the most was the giant screen above the stage. It presented two pictures of a green-haired boy and a blue-eyed brunette with a bar below each image and a timer in the middle of them.

Was this a gym battle, Nadine asked herself. If so, she had never seen one like this.

The pokémon battling on the stage were a butterfly pokémon and a rose pokémon. After watching the show longer, Nadine learned that their names were beautifly and roselia. The beautifly was gorgeous, with her wings spreading glitter wherever she flew. She and her trainer did have a disadvantage, however. Their moves were shaky and out of sync, allowing their foe, which they should've defeated from their type advantage, gain the upper hand. That was when Nadine saw the most beautiful move she had never seen executed. It was beautiful, powerful, and hit its mark despite being blown away by the beautifly's Gust. What was it called? Magical Leaf?

Torchic and Ralts were hopping on their seats but seemed to be cheering for different participants for they cheered and groaned at different times of the battle. Based on what Nadine was hearing, Ralts was rooting for the beautifly while Torchic rooted for the roselia. She didn't pick a side of her own for she was too busy analyzing what was happening on the show. The roselia used Stun Spore on the beautifly; the beautifly returned with String Shot, and the roselia cut the string with Magical Leaf. No damage seemed to be caused on either side, so why did the brunette's bar below her picture decrease? Didn't her father say that HP bars decrease when their host pokémon got hurt? Why did the beautifly's HP bar decrease when she didn't receive damage?

Then the roselia started charging up a Solar Beam. The beautifly should've attacked right away and with something definitely better than a String Shot. But she didn't, so it was hit with the most powerful Solar Beam Nadine had ever seen. And wait. The battle was over? But why? The girl still had HP and time left. The judges ruled battle off? What was "battle off"? Did that mean the judges could declare a battle over whenever they wanted? Could they even do that? What was going on?

Ralts cried out in despair while Torchic jumped in triumph. Nadine herself was too disgruntled to react but what got her next was the reaction of the beautifly's trainer. She was crouched down in front of her injured pokémon, tears welling up in her eyes.

Nadine shifted in her seat and gulped. She was about to stand up when something nudged her left arm. Torchic was looking up at her, his eyes beady and shaky.

"H-Hey, guys," Nadine took Torchic into her arms and rubbed his chest, "I'm okay. Really."

"Tor," Torchic whined, his eyes filling up with tears. Nadine widened her eyes and wondered why he was acting this way but then a guess came into her head. What if Torchic was remembering their loss like she was and was feeling guilty? Sure Nadine wasn't happy about their loss, but Torchic was looking absolutely devastated. Like he had just done the worst possible thing he could do to her and was afraid she wouldn't forgive him. That was when Nadine remembered that they never talked about their loss. Torchic was too busy trying to stay conscious, and Nadine was only crying as she held him.

"Oh, Torchic," Nadine turned him around and kissed him on the forehead, "don't cry, okay? Dad and his pokémon have been battling a lot longer than we have so it wasn't fair for me to put you in a battle with them."

"T-Tor," Torchic responded. He didn't seem to be feeling better and Ralts was starting to get sadder as well.

"Look. Guys," Nadine looked at the two of them in the eye, "today's loss was hard for all of us but we can't let it destroy us. We have to lose sometimes and that's...okay."

Nadine looked back up at the television and her pokémon followed suit. The green-haired boy and his roselia were battling someone else now: a tall blonde man with a serpent-like pokémon Nadine couldn't take her eyes off of. What did the pokémon's trainer say her name was? Milotic?

The battle actually finished its five-minute time limit, but to Nadine, it was too quick. The milotic was as powerful as it was beautiful, and the seemingly unbeatable roselia she had seen defeat the beautifly looked like the rookie now. How did this happen? Was it because the blonde man and his milotic were older than the green-haired boy and his roselia? Did they win so easily because they had more experience just like...her father did?

All three of them were frozen with their mouths open as the blonde man was awarded the final prize...a ribbon. What in the world was going on, Nadine asked herself. Didn't gyms hand out badges to the winners of the competitions? Why was this guy getting a ribbon?

Torchic and Ralts seemed more surprised at the fact that the man won at all, however, so Nadine returned her attention to that. After all, she was still in shock for that too. Was this a fictional show, she asked herself, or did these battles happen in real life? There were too many questions that needed to be answered and she just got out of the shower to escape the ones she already had. If she wasn't overwhelmed before, she was overwhelmed now. What in the world was in Hoenn and what was she getting herself into?

Then she gasped when her phone started ringing. She furrowed her eyebrows, wondering who would call her so late at night, but then she saw the caller ID.

Brendan Birch.

"Hold on, guys," Nadine stood up and made her way back to the bedroom. "I gotta take this."

Torchic and Ralts stayed on the couch and turned back to the television. Each of them also had a storm of emotions inside their heads, but they were quickly distracted when another show similar to the one they watched started playing. "Hello, everyone," the MC dressed similarly to the MC in the previous show greeted from a stage, "and welcome to another Slateport conte—"

"Hello?" Nadine answered the phone, shutting the door behind her so she wouldn't hear the television.

"Hey," Brendan greeted through the other line. His voice sounded much more chipper than hers. "You asleep?"

"N-No," Nadine cleared her throat as she made her way to the bed. She raised her voice a bit to sound perkier. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to call and see how you're doing," Brendan told her. "Sorry, it's late. I called earlier, but you didn't answer."

"Oh, sorry about that," Nadine apologized. She laid on the mattress and plopped on the pillows. "I was taking a shower."

"Oh okay," Brendan said. Then he coughed a bit and allowed a moment of silence. "So," he drawled, "how's your first day traveling into the region?"

"It's," Nadine sighed, exasperation unintentionally deep into her tone, "it's...alright."

"What happened?" Brendan asked. "You sound stressed."

Okay, there was no point in lying to him, Nadine realized. She almost broke down at his question but covered her phone's mic to hide the sound of her coughing back tears. Brendan seemed like a nice guy, but Nadine wasn't sure she should tell him her problems. She did just meet the guy after all.

"It's...complicated," Nadine told him. "I don't think you'd want to hear it, especially this late at night."

"I'm okay with it if you are," Brendan responded. "I said I was going to be there for you. Now can be the time for me to prove that."

Nadine smiled widely as tears finally streamed down her face. That was exactly what she needed to hear tonight. Everything in the region felt like it was going against her, so it felt really good to have something reach out to her for a change. It made her feel less alone and like it was okay to be afraid.

"Oh," Nadine chuckled as tears continued down her face, "where do I begin…"

* * *

Thanks for reading the chapter! Leave a comment to tell me what you think, perhaps questions you'd like me to answer or suggestions you'd like me to follow. The next chapter will be up as soon as possible but if you want to get updates on what's going on, check out my profile. There are updates for basically everything there almost every day.

Until next time! And again, thanks for reading.


	5. Rising to the Tip of the Iceberg

Hello, everyone! The long awaited fifth chapter is here! This chapter is going to be more fast-paced and dramatic, so I hope you're ready for the ride. Enjoy!

NOTE: Pokédex entries were provided by ORAS flavor text.

* * *

"Chic! Chic!"

"Ngghhh…"

"Ralts!"

"Ugh, guys!" Nadine waved off the pokémon hopping and chirping on the mattress. "Stop it! I'm trying to sleep!"

To her growing annoyance, the pokémon continued to leap and squeak. It was still dark outside. Why they decided that now was the time to wake up, she didn't know. She swore she just started sleeping.

Nadine groaned and sat up from her bed. She couldn't help but glare as the creatures jumped in victory. She was about to demand why they would wake her at such a horrible hour, but then she heard a knock from the living room. That was right, she remembered. Her parents were coming over for breakfast.

She leaped off the bed and ran to the front door. Once she deactivated the locks, she came face to face with her anxious parents.

"Nadine!" Caroline pulled her into her arms. "We were so worried!"

"Why aren't you answering your phone?" Norman asked.

Nadine bit her lip and lowered her head in shame. She told them her phone ran out of battery, which was true. What she didn't say was that it was because she was talking to Brendan.

Torchic cheered upon reuniting with the adults. Ralts was shy but gave a polite greeting. Once the parents unpacked the bags they brought in, the family spoke over eggs, bacon, and toast. The pokémon shared a bag of treats.

"So, Nadine," Caroline addressed, "did you enjoy your stay?"

"Yeah," Nadine swallowed a gulp of orange juice.

After breakfast, Caroline left to go shopping as Nadine and Norman headed to the gym. Norman introduced Nadine and her pokémon to Satou and his students. After that, like yesterday, Nadine watched them train. The one that intrigued her the most was Damian and his pokémon. She turned on her pokédex and listened.

"Ursaring, the hibernator pokémon. In the forests inhabited by ursaring, it is said that there are many streams and towering trees where they gather food. This pokémon walks through its forests gathering food every day."

Nothing about power, Nadine noticed. She stood at a passage beside their arena to spectate their battle.

"Raticate, use Tackle!" Damian's opponent commanded.

Nadine felt nostalgia. Raticates were Kanto natives.

Raticate charged with a speed Nadine didn't expect. Nadine turned to Damian's ursaring, who was steadying herself, and then to Damian. Damian muttered something she couldn't hear. Then Raticate landed a direct hit on Ursaring's chest.

Ursaring braced herself. The pokémon displayed great pain, yet Damian didn't look fazed.

"Seismic Toss!"

Ursaring and Raticate rose into the air. Ursaring kept Raticate clutched to her chest as Raticate struggled to escape. They spun like a top, and then, with great speed, plummeted into the ground. Raticate twitched in pain. Ursaring stood above him and made sure he stayed down.

"Raticate is no longer able to battle," the student standing in the middle of the arena declared. "The winner is Damian."

Only Nadine was taken aback by the short but brutal battle. She stared with eyes and mouth agape as a new trio of students replaced the one before it.

~.~

"I'm telling you, Brendan, every single one of them was tough," Nadine waved her french fry. "How can I defeat my dad if his _students_ scare the crap out of me?"

"Well they have been training there for months, maybe years," Brendan sipped his soda. "Of course they're going to be tough."

Nadine huffed and slumped in her chair. She and Brendan met later that day to have lunch at a fast food joint near the gym. It was only twelve o'clock in the afternoon when they did, yet Nadine felt like it was already five.

"I can't believe Torchic isn't freaked out at how tough everyone else is," Nadine told him. "He actually looked excited, like he couldn't wait to kick their butts."

"Don't you believe he can?"

"I do," Nadine said with a tilt of her head, "it's just that...it won't be easy."

"Speaking of Torchic," Brendan looked around, "where is the little guy?"

"He's hanging out with some of the students' pokémon back at the gym," Nadine jerked her head. "He actually made friends with those guys."

"Haven't you?" Brendan asked. "With the trainers, I mean."

"No," Nadine lowered her head. "I was with my dad most of the time. I swear Torchic is on a whole other level. He just kept going and going, even when he could barely move."

"Maybe you can learn a thing or two from him," Brendan took a fry.

Nadine shot him a glare and crossed her arms. She was about to fire a retort when someone walked through the doors of the restaurant.

"Oh my gosh," Nadine scooted out of the booth. "That's him! That's Damian!"

Brendan followed her eyes. "Where?"

"There! The one in a blue sweater!"

Damian seemed to have sensed them staring at him for he turned exactly to where they were. He gave Nadine a polite nod before lining up to order food.

" _Okay_ ," Brendan slurred. "Do you want to invite him over?"

Nadine gasped and turned to him. "What? No way!"

"Why not?"

"Well," Nadine cringed, "because...well...it wi—"

"Hey!" Brendan called out.

Nadine's face drained of color. She kept her eyes down as Damian approached their table.

"Yes?"

"Nadine told me you're a student at her father's gym," Brendan stretched out his hand. "My name's Brendan."

Damian gave Nadine a quick glance before returning Brendan's handshake. "Damian."

"Wanna sit with us?" Brendan offered. "There's a lot of room here."

"No, thank you," Damian declined. "I'm ordering my food to-go."

That got Nadine to look up, but Damian dismissed himself before she could say a word.

"Well," Brendan shrugged, "I tried."

"Why did you do that?" Nadine hissed, her cheeks becoming red.

"Why not?" Brendan asked. "I thought you wanted friends."

"I never said that!"

"Okay, well then," Brendan shrugged, "sorry."

Nadine groaned and sunk to the bottom of her seat.

~.~

The day couldn't end soon enough. Once six o'clock finally hit, Nadine was more than ready to return to the apartment. But her father had other plans. He and the students had a meeting that night, and he insisted she come. So there she was, sitting cross-legged behind him in the main arena. The gym students sat in front of them, their heads raised for their leader's message.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm glad you could stay later today," Norman started. "As you all are aware, this month's competition is taking place next week. Many of you have partaken in this tournament before. A few of you are taking it for the first time."

Nadine froze. She understood why her father made her stay.

"To those who are new, here is the rundown: next Saturday, twenty of you are going to face twenty trainers. Each match will be five minutes long with five-minute intervals between each battle. If you are defeated by your opponents, they will face me after the thirty-minute intermission."

Nadine heard murmurs resound through the students. Some nudged at the other and snickered, sharing inside jokes only they would understand.

"Do you have any questions so far?" Norman asked.

A hand raised.

"Yes?"

"Umm," the student lowered his hand, "are there any requirements to face you?"

The murmuring became louder. A cloud of questions and comments had overcome the students before Satou settled them down.

"No," Norman answered. "Just let Satou know before the start of the tournament and the battle will be arranged."

The students became loud again, but Nadine blocked them out. The thought of facing Norman brought on her own storm of ideas. She had been so preoccupied with the strength of the gym students; she had forgotten the gym leader's.

"Any more questions?" Norman asked.

When more hands raised in the air, Nadine paid attention to every answer.

~.~

"Do you want me to compete in the competition?" Nadine asked when she and Norman were in the living room of the apartment.

"I'll be happy if you did," Norman leaned back in his seat, "but I won't force you. You are more than welcome to just watch with your mother like you have before."

Nadine blinked. "Really?"

"Of course."

Nadine took a deep breath. She entwined her fingers between her knees and rocked back and forth.

Norman raised an eyebrow. "Is something bothering you?"

"Not," Nadine tilted her head, "not really."

"Are you sure?"

"Well," Nadine sighed, "I want to enter the competition…"

Norman beamed. "That's great! I'm more than happy to help you train."

"But can I do it, though?" Nadine asked. "I know for sure I can't defeat you. I just saw how tough the students are; I'm probably not going to beat them either."

"Nadine," Norman cringed at the mention of their battle. "You can't determine your worth as a trainer by comparing yourself to others. You are only as good as you make yourself to be, regardless of who you are surrounded by."

Nadine lowered her head, unconvinced.

"Besides," Norman smiled, "you challenged me to a battle to know what it's like to face a gym leader. Don't you want to know what it takes to defeat the ones standing in your way?"

Nadine gaped and leaned back. "Yeah...I do…"

"I'm glad," Norman nodded. He glanced at his watch before standing from the couch. "I better get going. Your mother is going to be worried if I don't leave soon."

Nadine stood up too and walked him to the exit. Once Norman opened the door, he bent down to kiss her on the head. "Will you be okay here?"

"Yeah," Nadine assured. "Are you and Mom visiting again tomorrow?"

"Yes," Norman confirmed. "Goodnight, Nadine. Keep your phone on this time."

Nadine smiled before closing the door behind him.

When the family reunited the next day, Nadine declared she would enter the competition. Norman couldn't be more thrilled. He didn't just provide Nadine with a notebook to take notes on, but a textbook to study from as well. Pokémon individual stats and characteristics, abilities and natures, methods of training and grooming pokémon—Nadine learned it all within a week. At least, she tried to. Just seeing the information overwhelmed her.

But she made it. The day of the tournament had arrived and she lined up with the other competitors in the main arena. Crowds of people filled the gym and cheered for the trainers they supported. Caroline, Brendan, and Ralts (who Caroline held in her arms) called out and waved at her from the stands.

"Again, we thank you for joining us in this month's tournament," the MC declared. "Here are the matches!"

All eyes turned to the cube of screens hanging at the center of the room. The screens displayed two rectangles shuffling pictures of competitors with the gym students. Nadine watched for her name and picture to appear. She didn't know she was holding her breath until she finally saw her picture. She stopped breathing again when she saw the picture beside it.

"Match 17, Nadine Emerald and Damian Fields!"

~.~

"Nadine."

Nadine gasped when Brendan took her wrist.

"Nadine, you're shaking," Brendan said.

Nadine took a deep breath and retrieved her hand. Her battle with Damian was starting in fifteen minutes. She was grateful Brendan was allowed to wait with her in the competitors' lounge. He proved since their first phone conversation that he was good at calming her down.

"I can't help it. I'm facing Damian."

"Hey, c'mon," Brendan patted her on the shoulder. "You trained hard this week."

"But Damian has been training longer than that!" Nadine pointed out. "How is a rookie like me supposed to beat an experienced trainer like him? It's not fair!"

Brendan sighed. "No," he agreed, "it's not."

Nadine groaned and raked her hair.

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try," Brendan remarked. "C'mon, Nadine, you worked too hard for this battle. You and _Torchic_ worked too hard for this battle! What would Torchic think if you doubted him after all the work you guys did?"

Nadine gaped, absorbed his words, and then looked down to Torchic's poké ball. She stroked the sphere with her thumb before clutching it.

"You're right," she said. "Torchic wanted to be in this competition more than I did. He knew he might not win but...he trained so hard anyway."

"Hey, don't forget, you trained hard for this battle too," Brendan reminded. "How many hours did you study and take notes? Torchic wasn't the only one who was pumped for this competition."

Nadine bit her lip. "You're right," she hopped and shook her hands. "I gotta do it!"

"Then do it!" Brendan raised his fists. "Kick his butt, Nadine!"

Nadine roared and charged to the competitor's hallway. She slowed down when the gym staff spotted her. She avoided eye contact as they clipped a microphone to her shirt.

~.~

The crowd howled as Damian and Nadine approached the arena. Many of them knew who Damian was. He wasn't just one of Norman's top students; he was also one of the most ruthless ones.

"The next match, Nadine Emerald and Damian Fields."

Nadine narrowed her eyes. Damian was glaring in her direction but not directly at her. It was natural to be focused and intense for a match but...upset?

"Begin!"

"Ursaring, I choose you!" Damian tossed his poké ball.

Ursaring materialized and landed on the battlefield. Her eyes were hard, just like her trainer's. It made Nadine remember that pokémon sense and pick up their trainers' feelings. If she was nervous, Torchic would be too.

"Torchic," Nadine forced out a smile before tossing the ball, "come on out!"

Torchic let out a fierce screech before landing on the arena. All eyes directed to his small stature, but his focus was on Ursaring.

"Torchic, use Ember!"

Torchic opened his beak and unleashed a barrage of fire. A torchic's special attack stat was higher than its attack stat, Nadine remembered. She had to take advantage of it, especially in a battle in which the best strategy was to keep their distance.

"Ursaring, dodge and use Hammer Arm!" Damian ordered.

Ursaring leaped right before the flames hit her, much to Nadine and Torchic's chagrin. Her speed was much greater than Torchic's. There wasn't time to dodge.

"Torchic, use Ember again!"

Balls of flame landed a direct hit on Ursaring's face. The hibernator roared in pain as the fire singed her fur. Nadine beamed as Ursaring staggered back. Now she needed t—

"Hammer Arm!"

Ursaring pounded Torchic into the ground. The hibernator's claw was much bigger than the chick's body. Torchic's health bar dropped to zero.

"The winner is Damian!"

~.~

Half an hour passed since Nadine's battle, but her face still soaked with tears. Brendan, Caroline, and Ralts consoled and congratulated her for her efforts. They then headed to the gym's infirmary, where medical staff treated Torchic.

"Torchic suffered serious injuries, but they're nothing we can't fix," the doctor assured them. "Gym arenas are safe places to battle. Progressions in technology allow pokémon to fight without causing severe injuries to one another. Don't worry. Torchic will be ready for you at the end of the day."

But it wasn't enough to comfort Nadine. She still wept on a couch in the waiting room when the doctor returned to his patients. Ralts sat on her lap while Brendan and Caroline spoke with the physician. When her friend and mother sat beside her, she hid behind Ralts's head.

"Torchic is going to be okay, Nadine," Caroline rubbed her back.

"And so will you," Brendan added. "Don't be too down, Nadine. You and Torchic did really well in the battle."

Though she had a lot to say, Nadine was unable to speak. The shock of seeing Torchic getting crushed, the embarrassment of losing to Damian, the shame she brought on her family for getting taken down without effort—it was too much to bear.

"Hey, look!"

Nadine looked up to see Brendan pointing at the television hung on the wall across them. The winners of the first part of the competition, six in total, stood before the audience in the main arena. The MC announced their names between applauses as Nadine absorbed the number. Six? Out of the twenty trainers competing in the gym, only _six_ managed to get a battle with the gym leader?

"And we have a special treat for you today," the MC added. "One of our top students here in the Petalburg gym has challenged the leader Norman to a battle. Please welcome back Damian Fields!"

The stadium erupted in screams as Damian approached the line of trainers. He stood on the far left and faced the crowd. His eyes search the audience in glazed wonder.

"Damian's going to face your dad?" Brendan crossed his arms. "It's like he's on a mission or something."

Nadine's eyes widened and turned to him.

"What?" Brendan asked.

"Let's w-watch from the audience," Nadine croaked.

Brendan inched back. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Sounds like a great idea!" Caroline encouraged. "We can support your father from the stands."

Nadine turned to her mother, who met her gaze with a smile. Caroline meant what she said but implied something else too. It might be Nadine's first gym competition, but it was also Norman's first one as a gym leader. Nadine had all the support she needed for her battle. Now it was her father's turn.

"Okay," Nadine stood up, Ralts beaming in her arms, "let's go."

~.~

Nadine sat at the edge of her seat as Damian returned to the stage. He was just as grave as she first saw him, but when Norman emerged, he got even more so. Her stomach sunk. Was her father the cause of his seriousness?

"The next match, Gym Leader Norman and Damian Fields."

Nadine gulped.

"Begin!"

"Ursaring, I choose you!" Damian summoned.

The hibernator pokemon was as fierce as her trainer. Also more so when she saw Norman.

"Slaking, emerge once more!" Norman called out.

Nadine exhaled when she saw her father's familiar companion. She hadn't seen the lazy, but powerful pokémon for a long time. Norman might be a new gym leader, but he became one because of Slaking.

"Ursaring, use Focus Blast!" Damian ordered.

Ursaring raised her claws to face each other. Then, slowly, a large ball of energy materialized in the space between.

"Wait, hold on," Nadine leaned forward. "Ursaring has been using physical attacks the whole time. Why is Damian telling her to use a special attack? Isn't an ursaring's special attack weaker than its attack?"

"Well Focus Blast is a pretty powerful fighting move," Brendan pointed out. "Maybe Damian wants to take out Slaking as soon as possible."

Nadine felt her heart drop. She knew her father raised Slaking to be powerful, but Damian proved to be tough as well. Would that mean the battle would be an even fight?

Ursaring smirked before launching the ball at her opponent. She landed a direct hit, forming a dust cloud resulting from the attack. Many, including Nadine, expected Slaking's health bar to drop. It only decreased by less than a quarter. When the smoke cleared from the arena, Slaking laid still like the attack didn't happen.

"Very wise, Damian," Norman complimented. "You took advantage of Slaking's Truant and weaker special defense stat."

Damian growled. Norman was polite and cordial as usual, but only because he wasn't worried at all.

"Ursaring, use Hammer Arm!"

The tone of the stadium shifted as Ursaring charged with a heavy fist. There was no way Slaking could withstand an attack like that. Brute force was what Ursaring was known for.

"Slaking, use Protect," Norman commanded.

"No!" Damian shouted.

Ursaring was fast, but not fast enough. Her fisted claw collided with a wall of light. The hibernator roared and staggered back.

"Slacking, use Focus Punch."

A snap resounded through the arena. Ursaring's health bar dropped to zero.

"Ursaring!" Damian cried.

"Ursaring is no longer able to battle," the announcer declared. "The winner is Norman!"

Nadine couldn't breathe.

"Woah," Brendan inched back. "I knew your father was good, but I didn't know he was that good."

Nadine barely heard him through the screams of the crowd. She only watched Damian return Ursaring and exit without a word.

~.~

The afterparty lifted Nadine's spirits. She ate delicious food with her family; she also made friends with students and competitors. But then she went to the bathroom and heard voices from the hallway.

"What a disgrace."

She peeked through the exit and saw Damian by a soda machine. A tall man stood before him. He had short red hair, narrow glasses, and a long red coat.

"How can I recruit you into my ranks if you can't defeat a measly gym leader?" the man bellowed.

Nadine's fists clenched. How dare he speak about her father that way!

"I apologize, father," Damian mumbled. "I promise I'll defeat him in the next competition."

Nadine gasped. That horrible man was his father?

"No. I gave you a chance to prove yourself, and you failed," the man pointed. "Now you're coming with me."

Damian gasped. "No, wait—"

"Don't deny me!" the man ordered. His voice boomed, and his face contorted in a way that made Nadine tremble. "And since you've made it clear that you that can't be trusted, I'm going to speak to that man myself."

Nadine's jaw dropped. It wasn't until Damian's father left did Damian catch her eavesdropping. He looked so offended that Nadine had to step out and prove she meant no harm.

"Stay out of this," Damian hissed. "This has nothing to do with you."

"He has no right to do this," Nadine stated. "You're his son!"

"I said stay out of this!" Damian snapped. "Don't think that just because you're the gym leader's daughter, you can meddle into other people's lives!"

Nadine took two steps back. Damian realized his outburst and sighed.

"My father...isn't like your father," he began in a calmer voice. "He isn't kind, patient, supportive, or any other things you would expect from a dad. He does...bad things to get what he wants."

He strode to the exit. He wasn't going back to the party, Nadine noticed. He wasn't going to say goodbye.

"Stay away from him," He added without turning around. "And for your own sake, stay away from me too."

~.~

"Have you heard?"

"Yeah! Damian's gone!"

"What? Since when?"

Nadine was on her way to a water fountain when she overheard gossip inside a training room. She pressed her ear against the door and listened.

"He came in Norman's office earlier with his dad," a student answered. "You should've seen him! He was so pissed!"

"Wait, who?"

"Damian's dad!"

"Did you see them talk?"

"No, but I heard them! Damian's dad was yelling the whole time, saying Norman raised his son to be weak."

"Dude, that's so messed up!"

"The guy is probably a leader of a gang or something."

Nadine ran to Norman's office, where her father and Satou were speaking. She didn't realize she barged in until she saw them jump in their seats. She immediately apologized and ran out.

"Nadine?" Norman opened the door and confronted his pacing daughter. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Nadine waved her hands. "Sorry for barging in like that; I'll wait."

Norman gave her a curious look before heading back inside. Only a few minutes passed when Satou exited the room. He gave her an amused grin before walking away.

"H-Hi, Dad," she stumbled inside.

"Hello, Nadine," Norman returned. "How are you?"

"Good," Nadine sat on a chair. "I just...have a question."

"What is it?"

"Did Damian really leave?" Nadine asked. "And...did his dad really yell at you?"

Norman's smile immediately faded. He straightened his posture before entwining his hands together. "Where did you hear this?"

"I heard some students talk about it," Nadine leaned forward. "Is it true?"

"Well," Norman sighed, "yes, but why do you ask?"

"I saw Damian and his father yesterday at the afterparty," Nadine told him. "Did Damian say he wanted to leave?"

"No, his father requested he be dismissed; but Nadine," Norman narrowed his eyes, "what did you see?"

"Damian's dad yelled at him...a lot," Nadine's face scrunched. "He insulted you too."

"I see," Norman leaned back. "I hope you don't take it personally, Nadine. Many people act like this."

"But it isn't fair!" Nadine cried. "Damian...he doesn't deserve this. He shouldn't have been forced to leave."

"We just have to hope he can settle things with his father," Norman said. "As much as we'd like to help him, there's not much we could do."

"But there has to be something," Nadine insisted. "His dad...Damian says he does bad things."

Norman's eyes immediately widened. "Did he threaten you?"

"No," Nadine shook her head. "He just told me to stay away from them."

Norman exhaled and rested his head against his palm.

"Is what Damian said true?" Nadine leaned forward. "Are they...dangerous?"

"Let's drop the subject, Nadine," Norman lifted his head.

"But wh—"

"Please," Norman insisted. "Let's discuss other matters."

Satou returned with a file and a look that prompted Norman to dismiss her. Nadine had no choice but to leave with unanswered questions. Questions, she realized, she wouldn't get staying there.

~.~

Health care wasn't the only thing available in the pokémon center twenty-four hours a day. As soon as Norman left to Littleroot, Nadine headed to the center's most secluded computer. The first thing she saw were news articles about the same robbery that happened during yesterday's tournament. Thieves wearing hooded red and black clothing got away with stealing all the gold in a local bank. Not much else was reported on the case. The only clue Nadine could get was the symbol on their shirts. A clawlike red and black "M."

* * *

Thanks for reading! And whew, that was intense! Looks like Hoenn has a lot more to offer than Nadine expected. Will she be able to handle it all? Stay tuned!


	6. A Fork in the Woods

Hello, everyone! Here's the sixth chapter of this wonderful story. I didn't think I could publish it in time but I did. Thank you for your support!

Story Q&As:  
 **LEGAL-EAGLE53** \- Satou is a man. I intended him to be based on the man standing by the entrance of Norman's gym. He plays a more involved role in the story, but I'll try to make his character more memorable.

*Pokédex entries were provided by ORAS flavor text.

* * *

Nadine was glad her parents weren't able to stop by for breakfast the next morning. She wanted to sleep in after the research she finished after 3 a.m. Damian Fields was an interesting trainer, but his father, Maxie Fields, was on a whole other level. He was the founder of an environmental assessment company called Groundation, which inspected land for potential tenants and prevented construction from disturbing pokémon habitats. Maxie's cause seemed to mean well, Nadine thought. So why was he so...vicious?

There was activity in the apartment later that night. Specifically, in the living room. A recording of the latest Petalburg gym tournament was scheduled to play at 8 p.m. Nadine and Brendan were on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. Torchic, Ralts, and Mudkip were sitting beside them.

Nadine performed in concerts in her younger years, so prior exposure to crowds prepared her for the one that watched her every move. She couldn't believe her focus distracted her from the spectators, especially since they had a lot to say.

"Aww crap," Brendan grimaced at his smartphone. "You should take a look at this."

Nadine accepted his phone and read the contents. Her face fell. "Oh my gosh, they...they found out!" As much as she wanted it to be a secret, the public discovered that she was Norman's daughter.

"It isn't that hard to figure out," Brendan commented. "You and your dad have the same last names, and you guys kinda look alike."

Nadine's eyes were wide. " _That's_ why people kept looking at me yesterday. They know!"

She scrolled down the article Brendan presented her, and her face drained of color. The writers of the article didn't follow their discovery with kind words.

 _It may be her first contest, but this is a pretty bad start. You'd think Norman Emerald, the new gym leader of Petalburg, would prepare his daughter before letting her compete in his own gym. And wasn't it his first tournament? A first-time gym leader that managed to embarrass himself_ and _his daughter—are we_ sure _Norman is the right replacement for Ronald Deemas?_

When Brendan asked her why she looked so distraught, she recited what she had read to him and the pokémon. The listeners were clearly distressed, but Torchic was the most disturbed. His head hit Nadine's hip. His beak quivered while his eyes watered. Nadine took him into her arms and leaned on his head.

"Don't listen to them, guys!" Brendan waved off. "You don't need to listen to those losers!"

"But they're not wrong," Nadine sighed. "I did embarrass myself, Torchic, and my dad. Crap, I need to send this to my dad."

She searched for the article on her phone and shared the link with Norman. Once the message was sent, she shoved a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

"Who cares what they say?" Brendan insisted. "You'll prove them wrong in the next tournament!"

Nadine and Torchic froze.

"Next tournament?"

"Chi?"

"Well. Yeah," Brendan sat up. "Don't tell me you guys are giving up."

When neither the trainer nor the pokémon responded, Brendan shared a worried look with Ralts and Mudkip.

"I don't know," Nadine sunk into the couch.

Torchic burrowed until his head was under her.

"Congratulations to Snow Summers for winning this month's tournament!"

All eyes turned back to the television, where the MC was announcing the sole victor of the competition. The winner was a tall woman in a lacy dress and a concealing matching mask. Beside her was a peculiar pokémon called a "froslass".

"I can't believe only _one_ person managed to beat your dad," Brendan smirked. "Those jerks can say a lot of things about your dad, but they can't call him weak."

Nadine was slightly relieved by that. Her father's strength might intimidate her, but it also intimidated other people. Norman had nothing to worry about. But _she_ did.

"I don't know if I should continue battling gyms," she grunted. "If I end up sucking at them, I would embarrass my dad."

"Come _on_ , Nadine!" Brendan groaned. "It was your first tournament!"

"But what if I also lose the second, third, and all the ones after that?" Nadine asked. "Crap, I shouldn't have left the house in the first place. Maybe I should just go back to Littleroot."

Brendan opened his mouth to retort, but then his phone started ringing. When he answered, his expression grimmed before he ended the call.

"My mom is waiting outside," he stood up from the couch. Mudkip hopped off the seat and stood by his side. "But we're not done talking! We'll continue tomorrow."

Nadine sighed and walked him to the door. Once everyone had said their goodbyes, she locked the exit and proceeded to clean the lot.

"Ralts!" Ralts called out.

"Hold on, Ralts," Nadine tossed the cups in the kitchen in a trashcan. "I gotta clean this up."

Ralts pouted and turned to Torchic. She nudged the chick for his attention, but Torchic turned in his laid position and continued sulking. The feeling pokémon frowned and looked down. A lot of popcorn was on the carpet.

When Nadine returned to the living room with a broom and dustpan, the popcorn she intended to clean were off the floor. They piled neatly beside the popcorn bowl, ready to be disposed of.

"Woah," Nadine blinked. "How did they get there?"

Ralts spread her arms. When her shielded eyes glowed, so did the dirty popcorn. The popcorn flew into the air and swirled around her. They swayed and spun, mesmerizing Nadine with a dance.

"Oh my..." Nadine gaped as Ralts returned the kernel to the table. "Ralts, that was amazing!"

"Ralts!" Ralts blushed and tucked her hands behind her back.

Once Nadine finished cleaning the apartment, she carried her companions to the bathroom and placed them on top of the sealed toilet. She then handed them dental sticks to eat before brushing her teeth. When all was finished, they settled together in the bed. Ralts was afraid of the dark, so her trainer bought a nightlight that projected stars on the ceiling. Nadine was the last to doze off. The stars reminded her of wishes. She wished tomorrow would be a better day.

~.~

Norman and Caroline weren't able to join her for breakfast the next morning again, so Nadine and her companions slept in until 10. Nadine showered before washing her pokémon in the bathtub. There was food in the fridge, they later remembered. They could eat breakfast or, now that it was 12:13 p.m, lunch. But Brendan called and said he would be there, so they first waited for his arrival.

"Welcome back," Nadine later greeted Brendan with an embrace.

"Thanks," Brendan squeezed before pulling back. "Got plans for today?"

"We don't know yet," Nadine answered. "We woke up late and were just about to eat lunch."

"Oh. Hey, guys!" Brendan bent to pet Torchic and Ralts. "Well, how about you guys eat first, and then we head out after?"

"Head out where?" Nadine asked.

"You'll see," Brendan winked. "It's a surprise."

Nadine pouted. "Okay. Well, do you want to eat with us? We have leftover lasagna in the fridge."

"I already ate at home but," Brendan sped to the kitchen, "I can have a bite or two."

Nadine chuckled and followed him and her pokémon to the kitchen. Lunch was great, but a bit rushed. Brendan wanted them to be somewhere at 2 p.m. It was a surprise, he repeated.

And a surprise it was. After a half-hour bus ride, Nadine and Brendan were standing before a contest hall.

"Oh my gosh," Nadine gasped.

The contest hall was tall and large like a gym, but that was where their similarities ended. Its walls were pink, and the pillars were yellow. Elegant golden curls framed the double doors and windows. The wide steps leading up to the entrance were sided by rose bushes. This wasn't a building, Nadine thought. It was a palace.

"Way different from a gym, right?" Brendan grinned.

"Yeah," Nadine blinked. " _Way_ different."

"C'mon!" Brendan waved her up the stairs. "Let's get tickets!"

He paid for the both his and her tokens, much to Nadine's surprise, and led her into a large auditorium. A broad stage with lights illuminated the dim setting. Surrounding it like a half circle were rows of seats filling with people. A rectangular screen above the stage presented advertisements ranging from food to grand getaways.

"What time does the contest start?" Nadine asked as she and Brendan sat at the far right side of the room.

"In thirty minutes," Brendan answered. "Sorry if we came too early. I wanted to make sure we'd make the show in time. Want food?"

"I'll get some since you paid for the tickets," Nadine stood up. "Want popcorn?"

"Yeah!" Brendan beamed. "Thanks, Nadine!"

When Nadine left and returned with a bucket of popcorn, icy drinks, and napkins, the lights started to dim. The place was packed now, so she carefully avoided other people's feet while keeping her food from spilling. She sweated a bit, granting her a pitiful look from her friend.

"You okay?" Brendan took some of the load off her hands.

"Yeah," Nadine plopped onto her seat. "That reminds me." She took out a poké ball and released Ralts. The feeling pokémon was confused at first. Then she scanned their surroundings and her eyes filled with hearts.

"Ralts!" she squealed.

"I knew you'd like it," Nadine tucked her companion to her lap. She and Brendan shared a grin before looking down at the stage.

The first part of the contest consisted of what the MC called "contest appeals". Ralts was fascinated by the performances, but Nadine was more blown away. She had thought pokémon only displayed strength by achieving victory in battle. But now she realized they could do more than fight. They could also dazzle, amuse, and even intimidate.

"The next contestant is Drew Thorne from LaRousse City!"

Nadine gasped as a tall man with green hair and eyes entered the stage. The crowd loudly cheered for him. Many women squealed and called out his name.

"What's happening?" Brendan gazed at the hollering crowd.

"He looks familiar," Nadine muttered. Brendan wasn't able to hear her, but Ralts sensed where she was going. The green-haired man was the same person they saw on TV a few days ago. They didn't recognize him at first because he was a decade older than the preteen they saw in the rerun.

"Roserade, take the stage!" Drew tossed his poké ball into the air. What emerged was a beautiful 2'11 pokémon with roses as her head and hands.

Nadine immediately activated her pokédex.

 _Roserade, the Bouquet Pokémon. With the movements of a dancer, it strikes with whips that are densely lined with poison thorns._

She had to read the description due to the increased volume of the audience. Some were claiming something she couldn't understand.

"Solar Beam!" Drew commanded.

The bouquet pokémon raised her hands and launched a pillar of light. She released it before it could fully charge, but the beam was bright and sturdy enough to engulf her in her own spotlight.

"Now use Petal Dance!"

Everyone held their breaths as petals flew from the beam in not only glitter but musical notes that chimed like piano keys. When Drew and Roserade bowed, Nadine, Brendan, and Ralts, had to cover their ears. But no one could deny that the contestants deserved the applause and the highest score of the day. Their performance was spectacular.

When the next performer stepped onto the stage, the crowd was much quieter that time around. Nadine and Brendan could finally hear each other when they spoke.

"What do you think so far?" Brendan asked.

"It's amazing!" Nadine breathed. "I've seen a contest on TV before but only the battle portion. I didn't even know appeals existed until today!"

Brendan grinned at her excitement. "What did you think of Drew Thorne's? He's one of the most renowned coordinators in the world."

"The _world_?" Nadine widened her eyes.

"He's been in contests longer than we've been alive," he informed. "If he didn't get better after all those years, that would be sad."

Appeals weren't the only thing Drew was skilled at, however. Nadine witnessed how well Drew could battle on TV, but what he displayed with an opponent to opponent was surreal. Roserade wasn't just an artist; she was a powerhouse. No one was surprised when she and Drew won the awarded ribbon. They significantly improved from their already great beginnings.

Nadine wobbled a bit when she and Brendan exited the contest hall. Ralts was in her arms, dazed and shocked as she was.

"I take it you liked the contest?" Brendan gently nudged her side.

"I did," Nadine nodded. "Thank you for taking us here."

"You're welcome!" Brendan placed a hand on her back to keep her from falling.

Once they reached the bottom, Nadine offered to treat them to pizza. What she bought overall wouldn't pay the same amount Brendan paid for the tickets, but she was relieved Brendan accepted her efforts. Ralts sat on a booster chair so she could eat alongside the trainers.

"Man, what a day," Nadine sighed. "It really got me thinking."

Brendan took a bite of his pizza and chewed. "About what?"

"What if I did contests instead of gyms?"

Brendan almost dropped his meal. "You want to be a coordinator?"

"Maybe," Nadine hummed. "After all, it's different from what my dad does; so if I'm good or bad at contests, it wouldn't affect him at all."

"You're not just doing things because of your dad, are you?" Brendan frowned. "You should do things because it makes you happy, not because it makes you look good to other people."

Nadine sat at the edge of her chair. "Yeah, bu—"

She was interrupted by a man dashing past the pizza joint. Soon after he left, a man dressed in blue, white, and black trailed after.

"What's going on?" Brendan asked.

"I don't know," Nadine stood up. "But I think he's in trouble."

"Wha...Nadine!" Brendan stood when Nadine fled the restaurant. "Come back! C'mon, Ralts."

Ralts hopped into Brendan's arms before following their companion. All parties ran until they were surrounded by the trees of Petalburg Woods.

"Just give me the goods!" the uniformed pursuer called out. "Don't make this harder for the both of us!"

"Never!" his target responded. But he started to slow in his sprint. Then he collapsed in exhaustion and clutched a package to his chest.

His pursuer sneered. "Now I got you."

"Stop!"

Both men turned around to see Nadine, Brendan, and Ralts heading in their direction. The pursuer grunted and took out his poké ball. "Get lost, kids!" he ordered. "Or I'm going to hurt you!"

"C'mon, Nadine," Brendan pulled his friend backward. "Let's go."

"No!" Nadine refused and glared at the offender. "Leave that man alone!"

The pursuer scowled. "You asked for it. Poochyena, go!" He tossed his poké ball into the air and summoned a black puppy-like creature. The creature snarled before charging toward Nadine.

"Oh no, you don't," Nadine reached for her own poké ball. But before she could summon Torchic, Ralts hopped out of Brendan's arms and into the poochyena's way. "Ralts!"

Ralts gathered energy into her chest, some leaking out from her eyes. Then, when poochyena was in arm's reach, she released a bright flash of light.

"Woah!" Brendan gasped.

"What was that?" Nadine asked.

Poochyena yelped and trudged back. He shook his head while his legs wobbled beneath him.

"What a powerful Dazzling Gleam!" the man with the package complimented.

Brendan and Nadine regarded his words. Dazzling Gleam?

"Poochyena, snap out of it!" the pursuer barked. "Take that pest out with Tackle!"

The bite pokémom erected his posture and glared at Ralts. After a loud bark, he charged toward the feeling opponent once more.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Nadine commanded.

Ralts spread her arms. Right before Poochyena's skull reached hers, she unleashed another blast of light. The black creature howled and fell back onto the ground. This time, he didn't get up.

"No!" the pursuer stomped.

"Now leave the man alone!" Nadine stepped forward.

The pursuer growled and returned his pokémon. "You're going to pay for this."

When the uniformed man fled, Nadine glared at his retreating body before running to Ralts. The feeling pokémon squealed before leaping into her arms.

"Ralts, that was amazing!" Nadine squeezed her to her chest. "I'm so proud of you."

"Ralts!" Ralts returned her embrace.

"That was really cool, Ralts," Brendan commended as he approached them. "What was that move called? Dazzling Gleam?"

"Yeah," Nadine confirmed. That was when she remembered where she learned that from. Brendan and Ralts seemed to remember as well, for they simultaneously turned to the man approaching them.

"Thank you so much for saving me," he acknowledged. "I don't know what would've happened if you didn't."

"You're welcome," Nadine returned. "But why was he after you?"

"He was after a package I was supposed to deliver to Devon Corporation," the man answered. "I can't tell you what it is, but that man knew what it was and wanted to take it from me."

"Who was he?" Brendan asked.

"He's a grunt from a syndicate called Team Aqua," the man answered. "Awful people. A little wrong in the head too."

"Team Aqua," Nadine gazed at the grass. "Is that what that weird A on his cap meant?"

"Yeah, you'll know it's them by looking at that logo," the man confirmed. "They're a very dangerous group. It's a good thing there was only one of them. Any more than that and we would've been in trouble."

"We should get out of here before he comes back with his friends," Brendan gestured to the city.

Nadine snapped out of her thoughts and followed his gaze. "You're right." She turned to the one she helped. "Do you want to walk with us back to the city?"

"Yes! Thank you very much," the man eagerly nodded. "Foolish of me to travel without a pokémon. I would appreciate the help of yours."

~.~

"How was your day, Nadine?" Norman inquired before sipping a spoonful of soup. "You weren't at the gym today."

Nadine swung her legs back and forth under the table before staring hard into her ramen bowl. She was back in Littleroot Town to have dinner with her parents. Despite her protests, her mother insisted she stayed for the night. It didn't take long for Nadine to relent. She needed to behave if she was going to keep her recent encounter with Team Aqua a secret. She would tell them eventually. Just not tonight.

"It was great," she answered. "Brendan and I watched a contest before eating pizza. It was extra special because a well-known coordinator named Drew Thorne was performing."

"Drew Thorne," Norman hummed, missing his daughter's subtle sigh of relief. "Yes, I've heard of him. He has quite a reputation in the trainer world."

"His performance really inspired me and Ralts," Nadine continued. "And when I heard that there was another contest happening in Rustboro City, I thought about participating."

That caught both her father and mother's attention.

"You want to be a performer again, honey?" Caroline asked. "How lovely! It would be a treat to see you on stage again."

"Hold on," Norman interrupted. "Does that mean you won't challenge gyms anymore?"

Nadine tucked her hands under her thighs. "Well, I've been thinking about that. I mean...did you read that article I sent you?"

"I have," Norman confirmed. "I'm sorry I didn't reply when I did. The gym got busier after the tournament."

"Oh, you mean that article you showed me yesterday?" Caroline pointed.

"Yes, dear."

"Oh don't worry about those people, honey!" Caroline waved off. "Those people only write those blogs because they have nothing better to do."

"That's right," Norman nodded. "Like I've told you, Nadine: don't take it personally. Some people will act terribly for any reason. Sometimes, for no reason at all."

Nadine looked down at her bowl, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"How about this," Caroline started. "When is this contest happening?"

"In two weeks," Nadine answered.

"Why don't you participate in the contest if you still want to?" the mother suggested. "You challenged a gym to know what gyms are like. Do the same with contests! It will be easier to decide what you want to do if you're informed about your options."

"That sounds logical," Norman complimented. "What do you think, Nadine?"

Nadine lifted her head to meet her parents' gazes. Norman and Caroline smiled when she did, relieving the tension building in her chest.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Thanks for reading! I know this chapter is a bit shorter than the previous ones. Then again, this is applying to all of my stories. Hopefully, it's still engaging and more fast-paced.

Wow, the introduction of Team Aqua! Also, is Nadine going to do well in the contest? Will she like it enough to ditch gyms or be just as discouraged? Stay tuned!


	7. Entering a Tunnel

Hey, everyone, and welcome to the seventh chapter! I'm running out of things to say but am still excited for this new update. You excited too? I hope so.

Let's read!

* * *

Nadine and Torchic spent an entire week doing rigorous training in the Petalburg gym. Now that it was Saturday, seven days before the Rustboro pokémon contest, and Torchic was having an all-day checkup at the pokémon center, Nadine decided to unwind with Brendan by visiting Rustboro City for the first time. Their trek through Petalburg Woods wasn't as eventful as their brief visit in it to stop the Team Aqua grunt. Taking advantage of the peace, Nadine took out her phone and snapped a few shots of the scenery.

"That's a cool shot," Brendan complimented. Nadine had just taken a picture of a beautifly rising to a beam of sunlight penetrating through a ceiling of leaves. The butterfly pokémon's shadow was soft against the natural light, portraying the creature as a fallen angel rising back to grace. Nadine gleamed in agreement before searching for another good angle.

Two hours later, the quiet of the forest was broken by the sound of car horns and chatter. The blue skies were halved by skyscrapers. The soil was covered in tile and asphalt. Nadine didn't think a civilization could be grander and more overwhelming than Petalburg. But she was wrong. So very wrong.

"You okay?" Brendan patted her on the back as they crossed the city border.

"Y-Yeah," Nadine flinched when a large bus turned and stopped to the station on their left. Even the buses were over the top in this place, Nadine thought. There was no doubt one could fit about two levels of people at once.

The ten-year-old hooked an arm around Brendan's as they traversed through the crowded streets of Rustboro. Almost every person they saw wore business attire and moved in a constant hurry. After the bus that startled Nadine made its final stop at a fifteen-story building, it unleashed a swarm of children dressed in matching green and dark brown uniforms.

"That's a trainer school," Brendan informed when Nadine stopped to stare. "It's a school for people who either want to be top-notch Pokémon League competitors or just want to work as something pokémon-related."

Nadine broke her bewildered gaze to give him a curious look. "Like what?"

"Movers and transporters, to name two," Brendan supplied. "Remember when you asked how the hall of arenas in your dad's gym turned into a stadium for the tournament, and I said it was because of the movers? Well, those movers went to schools like this to get licensed for it."

Nadine's jaw fell and hung open. Battling and coordinating weren't the only things humans can do with pokémon, apparently. How much more had she been missing out?

"C'mon," Brendan tugged her gently through their link, "let's grab lunch."

If Nadine thought everything was crowded on the city streets, then she had to readjust her scale when she and Brendan entered one of the buildings. The establishment Brendan had guided her into was a restaurant crowded with tables that held up to ten people. The kids were able to snag a small one for two, but it was in a corner the servers sometimes neglected to assist the larger parties.

"This city is huge," Nadine's shoulders hunched. "How can anyone live here?"

"People usually only come here to work," Brendan stretched in his chair. "Houses and apartments are usually more expensive in big cities like this."

"I can't imagine living here," Nadine crossed her arms. "Everybody looks stressed."

"Yeah," Brendan chuckled, "they do,"

After partaking in meals that were most likely rushed to make, Nadine insisted they took a bus to somewhere as far from the chaos as they could. As she had guessed, the buses were able to hold two cabins filled with passengers. Brendan encouraged her to sit on the higher floor, where the wide windows presented the streets like an aquarium. Nadine kept her eyes on the framed plexiglass not because the view fascinated her, but because the passengers standing close to her made her feel claustrophobic.

An hour later, she and Brendan had arrived at Route 116 where, to Nadine's great relief, there were no visible buildings nor crowds. It was another grassy field inhabited by trees and flowers. To share in her delight, and because she could suddenly relate to her companions cooped up inside their poké balls, Nadine released Ralts from her capsule.

"Ralts!" Ralts greeted.

"Oh, Ralts, if you have seen what we just saw back there," Nadine raised a hand to her head.

"C'mon, Nadine," Brendan nudged. "How can you handle the contest next week if you can't handle the people in the streets?"

Nadine blinked. "The contest!" she remembered. "Oh no, is the contest hall in Rustboro worse than the one in Petalburg?"

"Yup."

Nadine groaned. Of course, it was bigger in Rustboro. If the buses were overcrowded with people, then how much more in a contest hall, a place where the uptight students and business people take a break from their fast-paced lives to watch someone else take the pressure for a change?

Oh well, Nadine sighed and turned to Ralts. Remember that your pokémon sense and inherit what you're feeling, she reminded herself. Especially with Ralts, who was known for being keen with emotions.

"Alright, Ralts," Nadine placed her hands on her hips, "you up for some training?"

"Ralts!" the pokémon clasped her hands together. Up to that point, she had only watched Nadine train with her fierce and talented companion, Torchic. How would she, the pokémon that had met her trainer by leaping into her arms in cowardice, fare in such a trial?

"You'll do fine," Nadine assured, waving a hand after detecting the creature's apprehension. Then she raised a finger to her chin in thought. "Where can we start, though?"

"You can try practicing an appeal," Brendan suggested. "Ralts had already established one."

"Oh yeah," Nadine gasped, remembering Ralts's trick with the popcorn. "But wait, what is Ralts going to control? I can't bring popcorn to the stage."

"Use something else then," Brendan shrugged. "There's no rule against using props."

Nadine's eyes lit up. "Hey, that's not a bad idea!"

She ambled through the area before returning with leaves, sticks, and stones. After a command to use Confusion, Ralts levitated the objects to orbit around her. Brendan and Nadine grinned, awed by the psychic's display.

"Don't tell me you're going to enter the contest with a cheesy act like that."

Everyone paused and turned around. A young man in his early twenties approached them with his hands in his pockets. He had thick green hair and sharper green eyes. His outfit consisted of a black turtleneck, brown leather jacket, and dark green jeans. Nadine recognized him immediately.

"Drew Thorne!" she pointed a shaky finger. "You're...Drew Thorne!"

"I know who I am," the man snarked. He glanced at Brendan, who was growling at him, and then flicked his bangs, unfazed.

"What do you want?" Brendan demanded.

"I'm just here to check out the competition," Drew looked Nadine and Ralts up and down. "Doesn't seem like there's anything to worry about."

Nadine, who had finally snapped out of her starstruck gaze, gasped offendedly. She was about to shoot a comment on his blatant rudeness, but then repeated what he had said to her. "Competition?" she repeated. "Competition for what?"

"The contest, genius."

Brendan's balled fists raised, but the boy forced himself to keep them down. Nadine, on the other hand, didn't appear as offended. She only looked at the man as if struck by a revelation.

"What?" Drew narrowed his eyes at her silence. "Don't tell me you were practicing appeals for a contest you're not entering."

Nadine scratched the back of her head. "Well…"

"Figures," Drew scoffed. "You're wasting your time, just like everybody else."

"Okay, that's it," Brendan stepped forward. He could've taken more steps but Nadine and Ralts held him back. "Who do you think you are to just come up to people and insult them?"

"Someone who is actually going to enter the contest," Drew smoothly replied. This aggravated Brendan even further but Drew turned around before he could remark. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to win the contest. Feel free to sit on the sidelines so you can learn from someone who knows what he's doing."

And with that, he walked away, and Brendan was left to merely roar in frustration.

"Why didn't you let me at 'im?" the boy demanded. "I could've pounded that smug face of his!"

"It's not worth it," Nadine told him, giving Ralts a glance to address her as well. "Besides, I have to train for that contest."

That got Brendan to calm down. Or, at least, get distracted by something else. "What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Nadine nodded. "Let's see if I can get a match with one of the fiercest coordinators in the contest world."

"So you're not offended at all by what he said to you?"

Nadine shook her head. "No. At least, I try not to be. My parents told me not to take things like that personally. And after our encounter with Team Aqua last week, I'm starting to think hurtful words are the least of our problems."

Brendan's shoulders lowered. "Oh...okay…"

Nadine patted him on the back. "Thank you for wanting to stand up for me, though. You're a good friend."

Brendan's spirits lifted after that, as did Ralts's. Ralts especially, considering she was worried that she had embarrassed herself and her trainer in front of a stranger.

"But he did bring up a good point," Nadine lifted a finger to her chin. "It wouldn't hurt to do a little research like I did with gym battles."

"Yeah!" Brendan pumped a fist, relieved she wasn't upset. "You had your dad and the gym students help you out with the tournament. Why not have someone give you pointers for the contest as well?"

"Yeah," Nadine nodded. Then she looked up. "But who am I going to ask?"

Brendan was about to open his mouth when a cry cut through the clearing. When the trio turned around, they saw the same Team Aqua grunt they had battled the other day running from a trudging old man.

"Peeko!" the old man called out. "My darling, stay strong! I'm coming for ya!"

Nadine narrowed her eyes in confusion. But that was when she spotted a blue and white flying pokémon trapped inside a net.

"That grunt's stealing that wingull!" Brendan pointed.

Nadine clenched her fists. The creature was just another thing to steal to the grunt, but it meant everything to the old man that had affectionately given it a nickname.

"Let's go!" she took off with Ralts.

"H-Hey, wait a minute!" Brendan ran after them.

He was about to point out that Nadine was yet again getting involved with a potentially dangerous criminal. But he tagged along anyway not just because Nadine had already defeated the grunt before, but also because he wanted to be there for her in everything she did. He made a promise that he would, and he was going to fulfill that promise.

Ahead of him, Nadine's eyes locked onto the thief. She couldn't believe she was encountering the grunt again. And so soon too! Who was Team Aqua and what was their deal?

She and Ralts followed the grunt and the old man into a dark tunnel. Fortunately, the passage wasn't very long, so they were able to corner the grunt and his hostage into a wall. The elder was alarmed to see Nadine and Brendan approaching him. But once the grunt also noticed the children and positioned into an offensive stance, his shoulders relaxed.

"Not you again," the grunt ground his teeth. "But I'm ready this time. You!" he released the wingull from the net. "Attack them!"

The wingull cowered from his loud voice and refused to move. The grunt continued to scream and point at his targets, but the pokémon stayed on the ground and looked like it was going to cry.

"Stop yelling at Peeko!" the old man ordered. "And give him back!"

The grunt growled and took out his poké ball. "Useless pokémon. Poochyena, put them in their place!"

Ralts leaped out of Nadine's arms before Nadine could say a word and stood before her trainer. Poochyena tensed when she did so but obeyed his trainer's command to tackle.

"Ready, Ralts?" Nadine asked.

Ralts turned back to give her a nod. "Ralts."

"Alright," Nadine pointed. "Dazzling Gleam!"

Ralts spread her arms and unleashed a bright flash of light. Everyone in the tunnel reflexively shielded their eyes except for Poochyena, who whimpered and staggered back. The bright attack seemed to have been intensified by the darkness. When the light faded, Poochyena was on the ground, unconscious.

"No!" the grunt yelled. "Damn it!"

But he had no choice but to return the bite pokémon into his poké ball. And with the wingull he had kidnapped turning out to be useless, he decided to abandon the hostage and flee from the site. That was the second time this girl had interfered and succeeded. His leader needed to know about her as soon as possible.

Once the offender was out of the tunnel, Nadine turned to Ralts and grinned. "Good job, Ralts!" she complimented.

"Ralts!" the psychic chirped. She and her trainer reunited with Brendan just in time for the old man and Peeko to approach them.

"Thank you for helping me get back my Peeko," the old man eagerly thanked. "No one has ever done anything so kind to me before. What's your name?"

"My name is Nadine, and this is Brendan," Nadine bowed and gestured to the waving Brendan. "But I can't take all the credit. Ralts did all the work."

"Well, a pokémon is only as good as its trainer, my dear," the man remarked. "My name is Briney, and this wonderful wingull here is Peeko. If there's anything I can do to repay you, just let me know."

"Well, there is one thing," Nadine shared a knowing look with Ralts and Brendan. "I want to enter the contest in Rustboro next week, but it will be my first and I don't know how to start preparing for it. I was wondering if you know someone I can talk to about pokémon coordinating."

Briney's eyes lit up. "My grandson is a _brilliant_ coordinator! He's coming to my cottage for dinner tonight too. Would you like to join us?"

Nadine gasped excitedly and turned to Brendan. When Brendan gave her a sly grin and shrug, Nadine hopped and nodded.

"Yes!" she chirped. "That would be great!"

Briney's cottage was a two-hour walk from Route 116; but with bus travel, Briney and the children reduced their travel time to an hour. Nadine wasn't thrilled to go back to the busy streets of Rustboro. Fortunately, watching Peeko and Ralts giddily chatter to each other in their walk through Petalburg Woods had calmed her nerves. Arriving at Route 104, where the cottage was located in, made the trip even more worth it. The tiny abode was next to the beach. The roars of the sea had never sounded so sweet.

"What?" Briney narrowed his eyes. Nadine and the others followed his line of vision to see a silver four-door car parked in front of his cottage. "Andrew is already here?"

The children and Ralts froze. Briney had revealed that Andrew was the name of his coordinating grandson. But the man they saw standing at the cottage's front steps was known by another name. A very familiar name.

"Grandpa?" Drew called out and approached them. When he recognized the children and pokémon, his mouth hung open. "What? You guys again?"

"Oh!" Briney perked up. "You already know each other?"

"Not really," Nadine shifted in her spot. "We...just met today."

Brendan clenched his fists and grunted. Ralts looked a bit anxious.

"How do you know my grandpa?" Drew crossed his arms.

"We'll catch up inside the cottage," Briney excitedly trudged toward his home, unaware of the tension rising between them. "Gotta get started on dinner."

Drew and Nadine shared a wary look before all of them followed the elder inside.

~.~

"Chop slowly, my dear," Briney instructed. "There's no need to rush, especially around sharp objects."

Nadine fought the urge to roll her eyes as she and Drew minced vegetables for Briney's stew. Brendan was working on food for the pokémon with the elder at another counter. He didn't like seeing Nadine interact so closely with the man that had blatantly insulted her. But as Briney had pointed out, she needed Drew's expertise. It wasn't until his female companion gave him a reassuring smile did Brendan decided to tough it out. Having Drew's gracious but intimidating pokémon standing around their smaller and younger ones also helped keep him in line.

"So," Nadine scooped a handful of carrots into a bowl, "any tips on how to train a pokémon for a contest?"

Drew would've said anything other than actual advice if his grandfather hadn't informed him of how Nadine recovered Peeko from a thief. He wasn't thrilled of Nadine's reasoning of entering contests. Putting one's pokémon through rigorous training and under the public's scrutinizing eyes "just to see what it's like" was insulting enough. To imply that a passion countless of trainers and their partners dedicated their lives to was the same as trying a new yogurt flavor wanted to make the coordinator scream in frustration. But his grandfather would be disappointed if he didn't do him this one favor. It also didn't help that the young girl's sapphire eyes reminded him of the ones he had associated with love and happiness.

Finding himself sighing all too defeatedly, Drew shook his thoughts away before claiming another green onion.

"Consider improving your pokémon's health," he started. "Make sure they only eat nutritious meals and don't lack in any vitamins. Healthy pokémon are not only more appealing to the judges, but also fare better in battles."

Nadine nodded knowingly, already having started what he had suggested during her preparation for Petalburg's gym tournament. "Okay, that makes sense. What about training for the appeals specifically?"

Drew narrowed his eyes. He didn't know how much experience Nadine had with battles but doubted it was enough to justify her confidence on the matter. Nevertheless, he answered, "Everyone performs different appeals, so, therefore, train in different ways. Figure out what kind of appeals you want to do, and then figure out how to perfect them."

"Hmm," Nadine looked up thoughtfully before getting another carrot, "well I like how you use the beauty and power of your roserade to appeal to the judges. How do you train for those?"

 _That_ was the one thing Drew wasn't comfortable sharing. How he performed and why wasn't open for discussion, especially with someone he didn't have respect for. He expressed this by letting his face fall into a deep frown. Nadine got the message and scurried away with her chopped vegetables. She could always look up more advice on the Internet, she told herself.

"We're almost done," Briney announced as he poured Nadine's contribution into his pot. "Drew, are you done with those onions?"

"Yeah," Drew handed him his work.

"Great," Briney dumped the onions in as well. "Did you give Nadine enough advice for the contest?"

Nadine shrugged. " _Yeah_ ," she drawled.

Drew grunted an affirmative.

Briney shot them a skeptical glance before stirring his stew. "It would do you two good if you got along better. You two may be rivals in this contest, but it wouldn't hurt to be friends outside of the competition. Especially you, Drew. Make friends while you're still young."

Drew scoffed. "I have friends," the young adult stated.

Briney gave him a small smile and patted him on the back. "I know," he said quietly so only Drew could hear, "but it will do you good to have more for... _every_ situation."

Drew noticeably flinched before darting toward his pokémon. Nadine didn't understand the cause of his sudden change of behavior. But Briney did and gave her shoulder a light squeeze before dismissing her.

"What was that about?" Brendan asked as Nadine approached him.

They watched Drew's pokémon gather around him. The creatures have encouraging smiles on their faces, seeming to lighten the mood of their trainer. Nadine shrugged.

"I don't know," she told him. "This isn't how I expected meeting Drew Thorne would be like."

"He's just a stuck-up jerk," Brendan grumbled before handing Briney the ingredients he had prepared. "Did he insult you again?"

"No," Nadine shook her head. "Thank goodness."

Fifteen minutes later, everyone had a bowl of delicious food. The humans had vegetable stew while the pokémon had a mixture of vegetables and grain. Nadine was seated next to Brendan this time while Drew sat beside his grandfather. The trainers listened attentively to Briney as he narrated his tales as a sailor. The oceans were never merciful, he told them, but that didn't deter him from exploring them.

Once everyone was done eating, Drew announced that he was going to Petalburg. He was only one step from the exit when Briney told him to take Brendan and Nadine with him. The coordinator was more than reluctant to follow his grandfather's orders. But Nadine had to pick up Torchic from the pokémon center, and no child should be traveling alone in the dark. So as patiently as he could, Drew gave his father a quick hug goodbye before leading the kids to his car.

"Thank you for driving us, Drew," Nadine acknowledged.

"Uh huh," Drew grumbled.

Brendan frowned but said nothing when Nadine gripped his arm.

The drive to the pokémon center near the Petalburg gym was long and quiet. Drew didn't say anything throughout the whole drive, and neither Nadine nor Brendan wanted to speak until he was gone. They instead watched the cars light up the night beside them until Drew pulled over at the front of the clinic. Once the kids got out of the car, Drew hurriedly sped away.

"That was...interesting," Brendan took out his phone and called his mother to pick him up.

"Yeah," Nadine concurred, staring at the car lights lighting up the avenue. "It was."

* * *

 _And_ cut! I say, it was fun to write Drew into a non-contestshipping-centric story. I know he's kind of a jerk in the beginning, but don't worry, his character will develop in the future episodes. _How_ will he develop, and what does he have to do with Nadine? Stay tuned to find out!


	8. Fighting Off the Rust

I truly apologize for the late update. Once again, life got in the way, and I had to make a few adjustments. I hope this chapter makes up for it. I worked as hard as I could on it.

Story Q&As:  
 **QUEENSPELLER67** \- Drew is in his early twenties in this. And reader-submitted OCs sounds like a great idea! Feel free to submit your suggestions in the reviews or PMs, and I'll select the ones I can use in the story.

Songs of Inspiration:  
"Contest Hall Lobby" from the Pokémon ORAS Soundtrack  
"Kiss the Rain" by Yiruma  
"Inevitable Discovery" by Audiomachine  
"Encounter! Brendan" from the Pokémon ORAS Soundtrack  
"Contest!" from the Pokémon ORAS Soundtrack  
"The Lion's Heart" by Audiomachine  
"Hot Cargo" by Two Steps from Hell  
"Love me" by Yiruma  
"Do You?" by Yiruma  
"Evolution Theme" from the Pokémon ORAS Soundtrack

*Pokédex entries were provided by ORAS flavor text.

* * *

At 3 o' clock, Saturday, September 4th, the Rustboro City contest had commenced. Nadine watched it happen from backstage in the coordinators' lounge. She could picture Caroline and Brendan now, sitting in the audience waiting for her.

The young trainer and her team have trained non-stop for this competition. Once they found out that two pokémon could enter at once, with one performing the appeals and the other battling, all doubts were off. Ralts wasn't comfortable facing opponents in combat. Torchic, on the other hand, was more than happy to take that place. Ralts would get them through the first round. He would take care of the rest.

Nadine thumbed her partners' poké balls and smiled. The two have worked hard for this competition. But they weren't the only ones. From coordinating regulations to grand festival procedures, the blue-eyed brunette had been doing what she could to be as well-informed as her opposition. She even observed the performances of past and present coordinators through the internet. She, of course, started with her recently-gained rival, Drew. But then she was eventually led to another coordinator. Specifically, Drew's biggest rival.

May Alters.

May was a beautiful young woman sharing similar features as Nadine. She had started coordinating not long before Drew did, and the two have been competing heatedly against each other ever since. Nadine could understand why Drew would find the older brunette so formidable. May performed dazzling but deadly attacks and could turn even the worst of situations to her advantage. Nadine would be lying if she said that May didn't become even a little bit of a role model for her. Whenever she pictured herself and her pokémon shining on stage, she would often depict May's style incorporated with her own. May Alters was a fantastic coordinator. Nadine would special-order tickets if she had to just to see her perform.

Unfortunately, she would have to wait a while. A rare form of cancer had disabled her favorite coordinator. May now resided in one of Petalburg City's hospitals, hopefully, to be cured.

"Nervous?"

Nadine gasped and clutched her capsules. Drew had appeared almost out of nowhere, standing next to her bench.

"Maybe," she pursed her lips. "Why? Are you here to make fun of me?"

"No," the adult shrugged, "but I wouldn't be surprised if the pressure gets to you."

Nadine scoffed. "I'm a lot tougher than you think, you know. Besides, May Alters was nervous in her first contest too, but she didn't give up. If she could do it, then I can...do it...too."

Her words faltered. Drew's expression was hard, almost angry.

"What?"

"What do you know about _May_?" Drew demanded. His voice was loud. A couple of other coordinators have looked toward their direction.

"I l-looked her up on the Internet," Nadine muttered. "She actually became a sort of role model to me. I can see why she's such a big rival to you."

Drew ground his teeth and turned away. "You don't know anything," he said. "Just don't mention her again."

Nadine jumped when Drew practically stormed away. It was obvious that he didn't like her very much. Nadine wanted to change that, but it was hard not to get discouraged when she didn't know which words or actions would offend the man until they do.

Drew _did_ give her a clue before he left. He specifically told her not to mention May. But why was that? Did Drew and May have a fight that the Internet didn't consider? If anything, much of the media have speculated that the two were in a romantic relationship. Then again, Nadine knew first hand that the press wasn't always reliable. If she wanted the truth, she had to see it with her own eyes.

The brunette flinched when her cell phone buzzed. Then groaned. She had forgotten to turn the device off. She should have known better! If her phone buzzed in the middle of her performance, it would have thrown off her game. Nadine quickly unpocketed her phone to deactivate it. But then she saw the message on the screen.

 _You're going to do great, Nadine! We're here to cheer you on ;D_

Nadine beamed and pressed her phone against her chest. She had gained many things since she arrived in Hoenn but never would have seen how good they were if it wasn't for Brendan. Adventure, that was what he said she could have in Hoenn here. Nadine wondered then what else she could ha—

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to another Rustboro City contest!"

Nadine's head jerked to the television hanging on the wall.

"My name is Leslie, and I will be your host for today's event. Are you all ready for a _show_?"

The crowd cheered in excitement. Nadine bit her lip as she scanned them all through the screen. Rustboro's contest hall was definitely bigger than the one in Petalburg, and even more so from the stage. There were also screens hanging from the ceiling displaying close-up shots of the stage there; so if anything good or bad happens on that platform, the _world_ would see every angle of it.

Nevertheless, Nadine banished her worries with a shake of her head. Now wasn't the time to be nervous. She clutched Ralts's poké ball and smirked. It was time to shine.

Coordinator after coordinator dazzled the spectators. When Drew and his chosen partner, a majestic beast called an absol, took the stage, they captured the audience within their grasps. Even the judges, who were familiar with Thorne's performances, struggled to deliver their comments clearly. Drew would be quite a hurdle for that ribbon, Nadine thought. If he stole the show by just showing off alone, who knew how daunting he would transact in battle?

Then it was their turn. Nadine waited backstage with a basket in her hand until Leslie introduced her to the audience. Once her name was called, she sprinted onto the platform and tossed Ralts's ball into the air. Ralts materialized with a twirl before landing gracefully onto the stage. The crowd clapped appreciatively but were not as impressed as they were with the other competitors. Nadine clutched the basket's handle and tossed the glitter balls inside one by one.

"Ralts, use Confusion!"

Ralts caught every sphere with her psychic energy. The color of her force mixed with the glitter on the spheres was alluring, but when under the stage lights, the props shone with an ethereal glow.

"Now spin them!" Nadine commanded.

Ralts squealed before making the balls orbit around her. The props appeared to be sparkling now, shimmering like stars in daylight. Adrenaline rushed within both Nadine and Ralts as the crowd gasped in awe. Their days of dedicated training were paying off. They were giving a grea—

One of the balls shot out of orbit and bounced loudly onto the ground. Nadine and Ralts froze in shock and then watched in horror as the rest of the spheres broke free and rolled out of the platform.

"Oh no," Leslie gasped through his microphone. "What will Nadine and her ralts do now?"

As it turned out, not that much. Ralts was afraid she would embarrass herself and her trainer again, so only stood there, mortified. Nadine, on the other hand, acted on her instincts. She unpocketed Ralts's poké ball, returned Ralts, and ran from the stage.

Nadine blocked out all the voices behind her and searched for the perfect place to hide. She then ran past the coordinators' lounge and into a hallway with almost no one around. Great, Nadine cursed. Now she was lost too.

She stiffened when she heard footsteps coming her way. Her eyes darted to find the last chance to hide, but only spotted a medium-sized trash bin a few yards away.

Trash bin it was.

Nadine dashed toward the container and tucked herself as far behind it as possible. She closed her eyes in the hope that if she didn't see the person, the person wouldn't see her either.

"Get out of there. You look ridiculous."

Okay, nevermind.

Nadine grunted as she stood back up. She was still very embarrassed, but Drew's pretentious tone never failed to replace anything she felt with annoyance. She glared at the offending man, who was standing not far away with his arms crossed.

"Leave me alone," Nadine crossed her arms too. "We both know you're going to the second round and I'm not; you don't need to gloat."

"Who said I'm here to gloat?" Drew remarked.

Nadine groaned and stepped out from behind the bin. Whatever Drew was here for, she was in no mood. She had humiliated herself in front of a crowd of people _again_. And not just herself, but Torchic and Ralts as well. How many more times was she going to fail herself, her pokémon, and her family name?

But before she could retreat, Drew's voice caught her again.

"It's going to happen again, you know."

Nadine scowled. " _What_ will happen again?"

"Making mistakes on stage," Drew clarified. "Everyone does, including me."

Nadine's eyes widened. She had expected another insult, not an almost humbling admission from a stuck-up man. Her arms crossed. "So what do you expect me to do?" she asked.

"Turn the situation around; use it to your advantage," Drew suggested. "You said May's your role model right? Then you should know how well she turns even the worst circumstances into victories. The key isn't to stop making mistakes; it's making the best of what you get. The loser isn't always the one that doesn't win. More often than not, the loser is the one that quits."

Nadine's jaw falls as his words seep into her mind. She didn't notice Drew become almost sad as he gave her his advice. She also didn't notice him walk away with his fists in his pockets. There were many things she didn't notice as she reflected on what she had heard.

There were many things she had yet to learn.

~.~

Surprising almost no one, Nadine and Ralts didn't make it to the second round. Torchic was more than disappointed for not being able to redeem himself. Then he saw what his teammate was going through and turned his woes into concern.

Caroline and Brendan finally reunited with Nadine after Nadine escaped a hoard of nosy reporters. The brunette had texted Brendan to meet her in the coordinators' lounge during intermission. Only the competitors' friends and family were permitted there. Though a few adversaries' remained to spy on Nadine and her group, which Brendan irritably pointed out.

"They're staring at us," he growled.

"Then let them stare," Nadine motioned to the pokémon crying onto her shoulder. "Their opinions aren't what's important right now."

Ralts hid her face between her hands, whimpering and coughing as tears streamed down her palms. Nadine frowned and pulled her closer to her.

"Ralts," Nadine rubbed the psychic's back affectionately. "It's okay. Shh, I'm right here."

The psychic seemed to have taken comfort by her assurance. She was still crying audibly, but her breathing had become a lot less labored.

"You and Nadine were doing a great job, honey," Caroline thumbed the pokémon's head. She gave their eavesdroppers a quick leer before adding, "Don't pay attention to what these people are saying. No matter what they say, you worked hard for this performance and did it spectacularly."

"She's right, guys," Brendan agreed. Then, with a burst of courage, said, "They don't know what they're talking about!" very loudly.

Nadine chuckled as the onlookers gave him strange looks. She awarded Brendan an appreciative smile and stroked Torchic's feathers. "Thanks, guys," she acknowledged. "And thank you, Ralts and Torchic, too. Both of you worked hard to enter this contest. Not just for yourselves but for me too. I can't thank you enough for that, for being at my side."

The trainer looked up to the stage screen to see a reporter searching for a coordinator to interview. She practically jumped Drew as soon as she spotted him. Unfortunately for her, Drew politely dismissed her and walked away.

"And if there's anything that I've learned today that will help us grow is that we can't just listen to anyone's voice," she added. "We have to listen to the voices that support us—lift us when we have fallen. Drew did that earlier today. He was the last person I expected to help me stand back up, but he said some pretty smart things I'll never forget."

Brendan narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "What did he say?"

"To make the best of what I get," Nadine answered. "To never quit even when the worst comes. Because you don't always lose when you fail; sometimes you lose when you stop trying."

Brendan uncrossed his arms.

"What a wise young man," Caroline cooed. "I'm glad you've made friends with such a respectable coordinator, Nadine. I'll be sure to cheer extra loudly for him when the contest continues."

Nadine simpered. "Me too."

"So what's gonna happen next?"

She turned to Brendan, who was moving to sit closer to her.

"After this contest is over," the boy clarified, "do you want to continue doing contests or gyms?"

Nadine turned to her pokémon. Torchic was gleaming at her from her lap. Ralts was staring at her through her fringes, as if afraid to answer.

"Torchic and Ralts have been with me through both," Nadine remembered. "If I were to make a decision like that, I need their 'no' or 'okay' too."

Torchic scooted closer to her and rubbed his head against her belly. "Tor!" he beamed. Yes, was his answer. Whatever Nadine wanted to do, he would do it with her. After all, they have been partners from the very beginning. His trainer grinned and kissed his feathers.

"Ralts," Ralts whimpered.

Nadine tilted her head to regard her. The pokémon was still afraid and unsure. Insecurity might contribute to it. But Nadine had a better guess.

"Ralts, you were beautiful today," she commented. "You outshined even the glitter on our props. Whether you want to shine on stage again or not is your choice. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, you will always be _my_ big star."

Ralts pulled away to look her in the eye. Her orbs were wide behind her fringes, staring into her trainer in surprise and disbelief. Nadine still had faith in her. Despite everything that had happened, she really still believed in her.

Nadine blinked when Ralts hopped out of her hold and stood before her. Then, before she could ask the pokémon what was wrong, Ralts started to glow in a bright white light.

Brendan drew closer. "Ralts...she's...she's…"

"Evolving," Nadine finished.

Ralts's red antennas moved to the sides of her head. Her green hair extended into what looked like flattened pigtails. The white part of her body parted into what looked like a tutu, revealing strong, sturdy feet that allowed her to stand tall. Her bangs narrowed toward the center of her head and exposed wide scarlet eyes. Nadine wasn't able to speak for a moment. She was both awestruck to witness pokémon evolution and ecstatic to see it happen to Ralts.

"My goodness," Caroline gasped.

"Woah," Brendan opened his pokédex.

" _Kirlia, the emotion pokémon,"_ the device introduced. " _Kirlia uses the horns on its head to amplify its psychokinetic power. When the pokémon uses its power, the air around it becomes distorted, creating mirages of nonexistent scenery."_

"It also says that a kirlia that's exposed to its trainer's positive emotions grows beautiful," Brendan added. He turned to Nadine and grinned. "I think you just evolved Ralts, Nadine! Now she's a beautiful and strong kirlia!"

Nadine grinned as well and caught her newly-evolved pokémon into her arms. "Oh, Kirlia," she cooed. "You _are_ beautiful, but you always have been. I hope you know that."

"Kirlia!" Kirlia chirped, rubbing her cheeks affectionately against her trainer's.

"How sweet," Caroline commented. "I'm so proud of both of you. You have grown so much!"

Nadine looked up at her mother and smiled. "Thanks, Mom."

The party expressed its final thoughts before traveling to the auditorium together. The contest wasn't over yet. Drew and the other semi-round victors had to face each other now. Many potential winners, only one ribbon.

Time to watch.

~.~

"So how was the contest?"

"I won, just like I said I would."

Nadine stopped walking toward the registers of a pokémon center and turned to the lobby. At the far corner where the computers were, were Drew and the person he was speaking to. The man was talking quietly so no one could hear him, but loudly enough for Nadine to hear it from her position. Curious, the brunette crouched behind the wall of the doorway and listened. Who could Drew possibly be talking to so late at night?

"That's awesome!"

"Are you surprised?"

"No, but that doesn't mean I can't be happy for you."

"You're _always_ happy for me, May."

"And I always will be."

Nadine gasped and peeked her head back in. A squint toward Drew's screen confirmed her thoughts. Drew wasn't talking to just anyone; he was talking to his rival and Nadine's role model, May.

"So where are you going to next?" May asked, breaking the awkward silence they unintentionally ensued.

"I'm going to visit you," Drew told her. "We haven't breathed the same air for a long time now."

"It's only been a week, Drew."

"Still too long."

"But you have to _travel_ , Drew," May insisted. "How can you win ribbons if you keep visiting me?"

"You're worth more than ribbons, May," Drew shook his head. "You know that."

A brief pause had come from the other end before it was followed by, "Yeah, I do. I just don't want your life to stop; especially since…"

"I'm going to visit you, May. That's final," Drew stated. His voice cracked a little bit when he did, but he quickly regained himself by firmly adding, "I hope you like roses because you're getting a lot of them."

A giggle was heard from May's end, but like Drew's voice, it cracked a bit as well. "You know I love roses. Just like I love you."

Drew took a deep breath. He gripped the edge of his bench and looked up at the ceiling. Then, after another deep breath, he responded, "I love you too…"

"Goodnight, Drew," May returned. "Travel safely."

Nadine felt her chest fall as Drew shut off the monitor. She squeaked and retreated, but it was too late.

"What are you doing past your curfew?" the coordinator asked as she approached him. His voice was tired, but he put in enough snark to retain the taunt. Nadine didn't feel insulted anymore, however. She entwined her hands and gestured at the screen.

"That's May, right?" she asked. "Your rival?"

Drew's face fell. Nadine expected him to get mad and storm off again, but he didn't. Instead, he turned to the computer with an expression so grieved, Nadine felt her heart shatter.

"She's getting sicker every day," he only said. "I wanted to stay with her, but she wouldn't let me. It was our dream to become the best coordinator. She didn't want me to give up because _she_ had to. I only agreed to go because I would be going for the both of us."

Nadine felt tears well up in her eyes. She wanted to say something, _anything_ to console him, but Drew abruptly stood up from his bench and left. He briefly stopped, however, to give her another word of advice.

"Don't let failure drag you down. Take every opportunity you can, especially now while you can."

Nadine didn't sleep well that night.


	9. An Emerald of Hope

Before we start the final chapter, allow me to say a few things. I am absolutely _grateful_ for the support that this story has received. I had not expected the tale to receive the attention that it was given; yet, here I am, with something wonderful to be grateful for. I did and still do have a great vision for this novel. I had originally planned for this project to be an expanded series detailing Nadine's adventures and how she, her pokémon, and everyone else who crosses paths with her would grow and bring together an epic tale filled with adventure and much to learn for both the characters and the readers. Alas, I have decided to conclude this story and move on to different projects. I am actually planning on finishing the other ongoing novels as well. This one, however, is the first one on the list. I truly apologize if you have been anticipating more chapters. My only consolation is that the novels in the near future might replace the old good memories with new ones.

Thank you again for your generous support. Here is the final chapter.

Song of Inspiration: "Itsumo Nando Demo/Always with Me" by Kimura Yumi

* * *

As soon as Nadine woke up on Tuesday, September 7th, she silenced the alarm clock on her phone before performing her morning rituals: brushing her teeth, washing her face, and taking a short shower. Two days have passed since she had entered her first contest. She had thought that she had been freed from Drew's haunting advice when the sun set on her day majorly spent staring blankly at Petalburg's lake. But then she woke up the day after that with a decision that shook her loved ones: the decision to leave for good; and she realized that things have and would definitely change.

Her companions were already awake by the time she had emerged from the bathroom. Torchic was hopping up and down on the bed while Kirlia danced with the music playing on her trainer's smartphone. Nadine grinned at the heartwarming scene before opening her suitcase. She had packed most of her belongings the night before but had forgotten to leave some clothing out for the next day. She would have to pack again, she silently lamented. Then again, she wasn't in that big of a rush. Anything to prolong her pokèmon's delightful morning.

As soon as it was 9:45 a.m., however, the brunette decided to speed things up a bit. She swallowed the remaining bites of her omelet before leaving her companions in the kitchen to dash back inside the bedroom. There, she packed her soaps and brushes as well as her laundry and accessories. While she was packing everything inside a bright orange suitcase, snippets of yesterday's intervention replayed in her head.

 _"Are you sure you'd like to leave for good? There is no rush, Nadine. You can still train in the gym if you need to."_

 _"We've already trained a lot in the gym, Dad. It's time to train in other places too."_

 _"Oh, goodness, already? Please consider this carefully, sweetheart. The world is often more cruel than it is kind."_

 _"The team and I will be really careful, but I'll let you guys know if we need anything. Thanks, Mom."_

 _"Wow, this came out of nowhere. It doesn't surprise me, though. You were kinda out of it yesterday. Now I know why."_

"Chic!"

"Huh?" Nadine's head cocked. "Oh," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear when Torchic and Kirlia hopped onto the mattress. "Sorry, guys. I'm just trying to close this thing."

Without another word, Torchic leaped on top of the suitcase and proceeded to stomp on the casing. To assist him, Kirlia pressed the luggage closed with Confusion, allowing Nadine to finally yank the case shut.

"Thanks, guys," their trainer nodded gratefully. "Now we can finally get out of here."

She snatched her fanny pack and grabbed a red cube from the larger pocket. After she pressed the blue button on top of it, a white beam of light engulfed her orange suitcase and swallowed it into the device. The pokémon watched in fascination as Nadine replaced the cube into the bag.

"That's everything," she said as she fastened the pack around her waist. "Ready to go?"

Torchic and Kirlia beamed before hopping off of the bed. The pokémon had taken their trainer's choice more optimistically than the humans did. Torchic was thrilled to explore the rest of the region. Kirlia was apprehensive at first but trusted Nadine more than anything. In the end, both pokémon were by their trainer's side. There was little they could worry about when they took care of each other.

They closed the bedroom door together before crossing the living room. Nadine paused at the exit to scan the apartment for the last time, thumbing the metal key to the flat in her right hand to make sure she hadn't forgotten it.

"I'm going to miss this place," she admitted. "How about you guys?"

"Torchic!" the chick pokémon nodded.

"Kirlia," the psychic concurred, bowing slightly.

A smile stretched the child's features before she led her team out of the lot and locked the door behind them. She pocketed the key and trod the hallway, which was much brighter now that her dad had installed better lighting. She had always felt uncomfortable walking in and out of the gym's apartment because of the dim setting. It wouldn't intimidate her anymore now that she was leaving, but it was nice to know that her father would reach a more welcoming atmosphere should he use the flat himself.

Speaking of her father, Nadine had to return the key to him before she left the gym for good. It was a little past 11 a.m. now, so Norman should be in his second office taking his lunch. Like her mother, Nadine never liked her other parent eating where he worked but couldn't force him away from it. She had a feeling Norman secretly liked being at his desk. Working with students both young and old couldn't be easy, and the gym leader always preferred to work in quieter environments.

When the elevator at the end of the hall opened for them, Torchic and Kirlia skipped inside while their trainer entered more slowly. Then when the girl's fingertips tapped a glass wall, a memory washed over her senses. Damian had been here with her. When she had first stumbled into her father's gym, it was Norman's elusive top student who had guided and then eventually tested her. Where was Damian now, Nadine wondered. The last time she saw him, he had practically banished her from his presence. What would happen if he saw her again anyway? And what would he do?

The elevator stopped on the ground floor, as Nadine had intended, and the trainer peered left and right for any passing students before exiting the vehicle. She studied the fenced arenas separating one battle from another, recalling fondly how she had just been in these arenas before and after her gym and contest competitions.

"Nadine!" Norman greeted when his daughter and her companions entered his office. "I didn't expect you to be out already."

"I wanted to go back to Littleroot before going to Rustboro," Nadine said as she took a seat in front of his desk. "I know I'd be going back and forth, but I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to everybody."

Norman expressed a small smile and leaned forward. "So this is it," he hummed. "You'll be leaving for good, this time."

"Yeah," Nadine nodded slightly. She and her father had already discussed what they needed to talk about the night before. All that was left was a farewell. "Thank you for letting me stay in the apartment and train with your students. The team and I are stronger today than we were when we started, that's for sure."

"I'm glad," Norman's smile widened for a moment before faltering into a straighter line. "Call me anytime you need me," he said. "It doesn't matter when and where; if you need me, I'm coming for you."

Nadine grinned and nodded, "Thanks, Dad."

She placed the apartment key on top of his desk before walking around to hug him. When the two were at the doorway, she looked up just as Norman planted a kiss on her head.

"You're not worried?" the ten-year-old inquired.

"About what?" Norman asked.

"About whether I could really do this or not."

Norman beamed and shook his head. "No," he answered. "I know you may have some doubts, though, determined as you are now, but I want you to know that any concern I have is from a parent's perspective, not from one who doesn't have faith in you. If you can keep moving forward after your losses, then it would be almost impossible to picture you with anything other than success. You're still a gym leader's child, Nadine; but no words can express how proud I am to be your father."

Nadine cupped her mouth as Norman pulled ber into another embrace. After she returned his squeeze, she gripped her father's hand affectionately before letting go.

"Goodbye, Nadine," Norman said. "And goodbye to you two," he regarded the pokémon. "I'll battle you again, Torchic. In the meantime, please take care of my daughter."

"Tor!" Torchic hopped. He had fire in his eyes, but not all of it was out of competitiveness. Norman had nothing to worry about. His daughter was in good hands.

The relatives shared another smile until Norman retreated into his office. Once the gym leader closed the door between them, Nadine and the pokémon traveled deeper into the building to say goodbye to the students. The trainers bid short farewells. The pokémon were the ones who expressed more emotional goodbyes. Torchic was more outgoing than Nadine and Kirlia, so he had more to say to the others before he and the rest of the team left the gym.

After a slightly longer farewell with the receptionist and a nostalgic glance at the bench across her, Nadine led her team to a station where they waited for a bus to take them to Littleroot. Only twenty minutes passed before the bus finally arrived at their stop. The trio sat near the back of the vehicle and took up two seats with a good view of the outside. Nadine spotted the patch of grass where she first met Kirlia and glanced at the psychic sitting on her lap. She smiled fondly at the memory, thumbing Kirlia's arm tenderly as the psychic too reflects on the recollection. Torchic had his own seat next to the window, jumping excitedly at the battles the bus drove by.

Thirty minutes later, the bus dropped the three off at the corner of Nadine's residential street. The brunette led her squad out of the vehicle before continuing to her two-story house. Torchic was running ahead of them to the gates. Kirlia remained by her trainer's side, cautiously studying the unknown terrain.

"Brendan's house is that one," Nadine pointed to the building beside hers. "We'll visit him after we say goodbye to Mom."

Kirlia raised her arms to be carried when Torchic pushed through the gates of Nadine's abode. The brunette swiftly scooped the psychic up before following the chick to the front steps. She hadn't been in this house in a while. The abode felt foreign to her almost as it did to Kirlia.

After Torchic pecked at the wooden entrance, Caroline emerged, squealed, and lifted the fire type into her arms. She then embraced Nadine with her free arm and momentarily clasped Kirlia's hand in greeting.

"Oh my, hi!" the mother greeted. She kissed Nadine on the cheek before returning Torchic to the ground. "I didn't expect you all to come this early."

"It's not _that_ early, Mom," Nadine chided. "It's 1 p.m."

"It still caught me off-guard," Caroline remarked. "Are you going somewhere after this?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna visit Brendan before I leave."

The mother sobered then and leaned against the door frame. "I see," she muttered. "Did you speak to your father?"

"Yeah," Nadine confirmed. "We said goodbye to the students too."

Caroline smiled before gazing at the sky. After a thought, she pulled her daughter into a tighter embrace.

"Be careful out there, honey," she advised. "Call me if you need anything, and remember that you can always come home."

Nadine returned her embrace and grinned. "Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie."

Nadine felt her mother cup her cheek for a moment before leading her team back to the sidewalk. The pokémon gave their cheerful farewells before following her to Brendan's house. Nadine unpocketed her phone to text him a heads-up. Before she could send the message, however, the male brunette emerged from his abode and stood before them, panting for breath.

"I saw you guys from my room!" he managed to say when he got a steady flow of air. "I didn't know you'd be here already!"

"We want to leave as soon as we can," Nadine slipped her phone back into her pocket. "It's gonna take a while until we get back to Rustboro City. Then, after we get there, we're planning on training for Rustboro's gym competition."

Brendan inched back. "You're going back to gyms?"

"Yeah," Nadine nodded. "I'd like to get another start at Rustboro this time. If things go well, I might move on to other gyms before facing my father again. He's tough to beat, you know?"

Brendan gave her a sad smile. "I see," he muttered. Then, after a thought, he asked, "Can I go to Rustboro with you?"

"Huh?" Nadine blinked. "You'd...like to go to Rustboro with me?"

"I won't go if you don't want me to," Brendan muttered, bowing his head.

"N-No, I'd love for you to go!" Nadine placed a hand on his shoulder. "I just didn't expect you to offer. I thought you'd be busy studying for your dad's project."

"I am," Brendan's head slowly lifted. "I just thought we'd have...one more adventure before you go."

Nadine grinned, both from the meaning of the word "adventure" and what she had received when she believed she could have it here in Hoenn. "Yeah, one last adventure."

Brendan let out Mudkip then, and, together, the children and their companions traversed the neighborhood. Nadine and Brendan spoke excitedly all the way, unconsciously moving closer to each other as they did so. When the bus they eventually boarded ended up being packed, the trainers returned their pokémon and squeezed into the backseats. They didn't sit near the windows that time. They were more focused on each other.

Upon arrival at Rustboro City, Nadine and Brendan decided to sit by the lake north of Petalburg Woods. Time passed by too quickly. Before Nadine realized it, the sun was halfway toward the horizon. She didn't worry about it as much as she thought she would, however. Instead, she and Brendan continued to kick and stir the waves as their surroundings settled with the daylight.

"I know I didn't get to train today, but I'll make up for it tomorrow," Nadine promised, watching the setting sun turn the skies orange and pink. "Rustboro's gym tournament is at the end of the month, and I have three weeks to prepare for it."

"You'll do great; I know it," Brendan raised a fist. "I'll probably be at Fortree by then, but I'll watch you on my hotel's TV."

Nadine blushed. "Thanks."

The shadows grew around them as the silence did. When Nadine decided it was too quiet, Brendan's voice relieved both of their discomforts.

"This isn't really goodbye, you know," he said. "Yeah, we'll be far, but we'll keep in touch. You'll tell me if you need anything, right?"

"Of course, I will," Nadine giggled. "And you with me?"

" _Yeah_ ," Brendan tilted his head, "but I'll try not to. I should be the one doing the saving."

"Why?" Nadine raised an eyebrow. "Because you're the guy?"

"No," Brendan scoffed. Then he sighed and looked ahead. "Who am I kidding? If anything, when trouble comes, _I'll_ be the one who needs your help. You only got _stronger_ after losing both your first gym competition and contest, and even took on members of _Team Aqua_. You're better than any _guy_ I know. Better than...anyone I know, really."

A shade of pink stained Nadine's cheeks as the tips of her ears heated up. "Uh-hum, umm," she tucked her chin. "Thanks. I...think you're really great too."

"No, I'm not," Brendan scoffed. "I'm just your biggest fan cheering you on from the sidelines. If I met you now instead of when you first got here, you wouldn't even look at me."

"Why wouldn't I look at you?" Nadine's eyes narrowed.

"Because you're amazing," Brendan blurted out, surprising her. "How am I supposed to measure up with _anything_ in your life? You're off to explore the region to get badges and ribbons and maybe even defeat more bad guys. And me? Well," he released a bitter chuckle, "I'll be the forgotten fan boy you won't remember when you get back."

Nadine snatched his hand. She felt the boy stiffening at her sudden action but not of him pulling away.

"You think I'd _forget_ you?" she demanded. "Brendan, a big part of why I'm here is because of you! You'd think I wanted anything to do with Hoenn when I first got here? I had told you myself; I didn't want to be here. But then I did because you gave me hope. You believed in me before the others could—before _I_ could. You're not a _fan_ , Brendan; you're my best friend. So don't say I'd forget you when I get back or...ever. Because you mean more to me than you realize."

Brendan's mouth hung open as he finally looked at her. Then, after watching the sunlight dance on her irises, he returned her squeeze before leaning his forehead on her crown.

"Thank you," he whispered. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that."

"You're welcome," Nadine squeaked, willing herself not to stutter.

When Brendan pulled away, he did so after planting a soft kiss on her temple. Nadine grinned at the action before pecking him on the cheek. She giggled behind her knuckles when his face flashed red. Then, without warning, Brendan pushed them both onto the ground.

"H-Hey!" Nadine squeaked, giggling even louder all the way through.

Brendan hid his face at the crook of her neck and let out his own string of laughter. Then, when his arms got tired, he plopped onto the grass so he could lay beside her. Nadine turned to him with her salmon-stained cheeks and sighed.

"I'm going to miss you," she whispered.

"I'll miss you too," Brendan breathed out.

Nadine simpered before looking up at the sky. The canvas was navy blue now. Speckles of stars could be seen on the grand expanse. It made the young brunette feel small. Who knew how big Hoenn was and what was waiting for her? One thing was for sure, however: she was going to see them all.

Until then, Nadine shuffled until she was laying on Brendan's shoulder, she would lay back with her best friend and enjoy the moment.


End file.
